Vulnerable Children and Families Act of 2016
Latest action · Jul 14, 2016 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedJul 14, 2016
- Passed SenateNot reached
- Passed HouseNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Vulnerable Children and Families Act of 2016
This bill redesignates the Office of Children's Issues of the Department of State as the Office of Vulnerable Children and Family Security (VCFS).
The President shall appoint an Ambassador-at-Large to promote: (1) oversight of the VCFS; (2) the implementation in foreign countries of child welfare laws and policies in keeping with the goals of the United States Government Action Plan on Children in Adversity; and (3) addressing the gap in U.S. diplomacy, policy, and operations regarding permanent family care for children living without families.
The Ambassador-at-Large shall: (1) advise the State Department and the President about vulnerable children and family security in foreign countries; (2) represent the United States regarding international child welfare, family preservation and reunification, and provision of permanent, safe parental care; (3) develop related policies and programs; and (4) submit an annual report on implementation of such action plan.
The bill provides the VCFS with lead responsibility for: (1) representing the U.S. government regarding intercountry adoptions, and (2) determining whether a country has met its obligations under the Hague Convention of Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Inter-Country Adoption and is eligible to participate in intercountry adoptions in accordance with U.S. law.
The Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 is amended to: (1) include in the annual country reports on human rights practices information on the conditions of children living in orphanages and group homes, and (2) repeal certain provisions providing assistance for orphans and other vulnerable children.
The U.S. Agency for International Development's Center of Excellence on Children in Adversity shall work with the Ambassador-at-Large to ensure that U.S. assistance and development programs are focused on:
- child development through the integration of health, nutrition, and family support;
- facilitating government efforts to protect children from violence, exploitation, and neglect;
- building integrated child welfare and protection systems; and
- integrating this plan with U.S. government agencies.
Cosponsors 10
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Jul 14, 2016 to Sep 26, 2016, with 8 there on the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-MN | Amy Klobuchar | Original | Jul 14, 2016 |
| I-ME | Angus S. King Jr. | Original | Jul 14, 2016 |
| D-DE | Christopher A. Coons | Original | Jul 14, 2016 |
| D-MO | Claire McCaskill | Original | Jul 14, 2016 |
| D-MA | Elizabeth Warren | Original | Jul 14, 2016 |
| D-NH | Jeanne Shaheen | Original | Jul 14, 2016 |
| R-MS | Roger F. Wicker | Original | Jul 14, 2016 |
| R-MS | Thad Cochran | Original | Jul 14, 2016 |
| D-PA | Robert P. Casey Jr. | Sep 12, 2016 | |
| R-NC | Richard Burr | Sep 26, 2016 |
Actions 2
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Jul 14, 2016Introduced in Senate
- Jul 14, 2016Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: International Affairs.
- Adoption and foster care
- Child care and development
- Child health
- Child safety and welfare
- Congressional oversight
- Department of State
- Diplomacy, foreign officials, Americans abroad
- Domestic violence and child abuse
- Executive agency funding and structure
- Family relationships
- Family services
- Federal officials
- Foreign aid and international relief
- International Affairs
- International law and treaties
- Nutrition and diet
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Jul 14, 2016Introduced in Senate
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov.