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Since 1974, many laws have been passed by the U.S. Congress that impact children and families and the agencies that serve them. Below is a list of selected Acts.
The public law (PL) numbers link to bill summaries and status provided by Thomas.gov, a service of the Library of Congress. In some cases the Clearinghouse has provided relevant portions of legislation for easy access. Laws are listed in chronological order.
Some of the links on this page will open new windows to external Web sites. To return to the Clearinghouse Web site, close the new window.P.L. 108-145—Adoption Promotion Act of 2003
Reauthorizes the adoption incentive program under Title IV-E; provides additional incentives for adoption of older children (age 9 and older) from foster care.
P.L. 108-36—Keeping Children and Families Safe Act of 2003
Extends and amends the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act; the Adoption Opportunities Act; the Abandoned Infants Assistance Act; and the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act.
PL 108-21 — PROTECT Act (Prosecutorial Remedies and Other Tools to End the Exploitation of Children Today Act of 2003)
Creates a national Amber alert system, and provides for enhanced penalties for child sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, and child pornography.
PL 107-133 — Promoting Safe and Stable Families Amendments of 2001
Extends and amends the Promoting Safe and Stable Families program; amends the Foster Care Independent Living program.
PL 107-16 — Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001
Title II includes provisions to extend permanently the adoption credit; increase the maximum credit to $10,000 per eligible child; and increase to $150,000 the beginning of point of the income phase-out range.
PL 106-395 — Child Citizenship Act of 2000
Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to confer United States citizenship automatically and retroactively to certain foreign-born children adopted by citizens of the United States.
PL 106-314 — Strengthening Abuse and Neglect Courts Act of 2000
Seeks to improve the administrative efficiency and effectiveness of the Nation's abuse and neglect courts and for other purposes consistent with the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997.
PL 106-310 — Children's Health Act of 2000
Title XII of this Act authorizes funding for adoption awareness activities and public awareness campaigns for adoption of infants and children with special needs.
PL 106-279 — Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000
Provides for implementation of the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption by the United States.
PL 106-177 — Child Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Act
Seeks to reduce the incidence of child abuse and neglect through law enforcement initiatives and prevention activities.
PL 106-169 — Foster Care Independence Act
Amends title IV-E of the Social Security Act to provide States with more funding and greater flexibility in carrying out programs designed to help children make the transition from foster care to self-sufficiency.
PL 105-200 — Child Support Performance and Incentive Act
Title III of the Act amends title IV-E of the Social Security Act (Adoption and Foster Care Assistance).
PL 105-89 — Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997
Seeks to promote the safety, permanency and well-being of children in foster care; accelerate the permanent placement of children in care; and increase the accountability of the child welfare system.
PL 105-73 — Immigration Vaccine Act
Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to exempt from specified vaccination requirements a child, ten years old or younger, who is seeking U.S. admission as an orphan being adopted (or already adopted) by U.S. parents, subject to the parents' affidavit that the child will be vaccinated within 30 days after admission or at the earliest medically appropriate time.
PL 105-17 — Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
Reauthorizes and amends the Act.
PL 104-235 — Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act Amendments of 1996
Reauthorized and amended the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act; The Family Violence Prevention and Services Act; and the Abandoned Infants Assistance Act.
PL 104-193 — Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996
Limits eligibility for Federal foster care and adoption assistance payments to children in families that would have been eligible for Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC). Requires States to consider giving preference to adult relatives over non-relative caregivers when choosing a placement for a child.
Full text of relevant portions of the Act.
(Note: The AFDC program was replaced by Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). The Office of Family Assistance offers more information on the TANF program.)
PL 104-191 — Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996
Seeks to improve portability and continuity of health insurance coverage; includes adopted children as covered persons.
PL 104-188 — Small Business Job Protection Act of 1996
Title I, Subtitle H, amends the tax code to provide for adoption assistance through tax credits. Section 1808 of this subtitle contains the Removal of Barriers to Interethnic Adoption (IEP) provisions, which amends the Multiethnic Placement Act of 1994.
PL 103-382 — Improving America's Schools Act of 1994
Title V (Miscellaneous Provisions) of the Act contains the provisions of the Multiethnic Placement Act.
PL 103-66 — Omnibus Budget and Reconciliation Act of 1993
Title XIII, Chapter 2, Subchapter C, Part 1 authorized funding for the family preservation and support services program through fiscal year 1998.
Title XIII, Chapter 2, Subchapter C, Part 1.
PL 103-3 — Family and Medical Leave Act
Grants family and temporary medical leave for employees, including civil service employees, under certain circumstances, including the birth or adoption of a child.
PL 102-295 — Child Abuse, Domestic Violence, Adoption and Family Services Act of 1992
Reauthorized through fiscal year 1995 and amended the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act; the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act; and the Adoption Opportunities program.
PL 102-190 — National Defense Authorization Act for FY 1992 and 1993
Title VI, Part E, of the Act made provision for reimbursement of adoption expenses for military personnel.
PL 101-508 — Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990
Title V, Subtitle A, Chapter 4 and 5 excludes foster care or adoption assistance payments when determining a family's eligibility for AFDC assistance; requires State agencies to report known or suspected abuse or neglect of a child receiving aid; and allows States to receive reimbursement for child placement services.
Title V, Subtitle A, Chapter 4 and 5.
PL 101-381 — Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency Act
Provides grants to improve the quality and availability of care for individuals and families with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) or Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).
PL 101-336 — Americans with Disabilities Act
Prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability.
For the Acts listed below, only the summary is available.
PL 100-505 — Abandoned Infants Assistance Act
Funded for fiscal years 1989 through 1991 demonstration projects to provide respite home and other assistance for infants abandoned in hospitals.
PL 100-485 — Family Support Act of 1988
Amended the AFDC program with a new Family Support Program to provide for enhanced enforcement of child support orders.
PL 100-294 — Child Abuse Prevention, Adoption and Family Services Act of 1988
Reauthorized through fiscal year 1991 and amended the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment and Adoption Reform Act of 1978, and the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act.
PL 99-509 — Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act
Title IX, Subtitle E, Part 5 of this Act mandated the establishment of the National Adoption Information Clearinghouse.
Summary of Title IX, Subtitle E, Part 5.
PL 99-457 — Education of the Handicapped Amendments of 1986
Reauthorized for fiscal year 1987 through 1991 certain programs under the Education of the Handicapped Act. Authorized an early intervention program for handicapped infants.
PL 98-473 — A joint resolution making continuing appropriations for the fiscal year 1985, and for other purposes.
Title II, Division II of this Act makes provision for coordination of all Federally funded missing children programs.
PL 98-457 — Child Abuse Amendments of 1984
Reauthorized through fiscal year 1987 the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act.
PL 96-272 — Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980
Authorized appropriations for adoption and foster care assistance to the States. Required States to provide adoption assistance to parents who adopt a child who is AFDC-eligible and is a child with special needs. For foster care assistance, States are required to make reasonable efforts were made to prevent placement or to reunify children with their families.
PL 95-608 — Indian Child Welfare Act
Established standards for the placement of Indian child in foster or adoptive homes.
The National Indian Child Welfare Association offers full text and other resources.
PL 95-266 — Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment and Adoption Reform Act of 1978
Reauthorized through fiscal year 1981 and amended the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act; funded the Adoption Opportunities program to facilitate the adoption of children with special needs.
PL 94-142— Education for All Handicapped Children Act
Reauthorized, through fiscal year 1977, and extended the provisions of the program.
PL 93-247 — Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act
Established the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect; authorized funding for fiscal years 1974 through 1977 for demonstration projects on the prevention, identification, and treatment of child abuse and neglect.
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