FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, Contact: (202) 225-1025
June 4, 1998
No. HR-13
Congressman E. Clay Shaw, Jr., (R-FL), Chairman, Subcommittee on Human Resources of the Committee on Ways and Means, today announced that the Subcommittee will hold a hearing on adoption reunion registries and screening of adults working with children. The hearing will take place on Thursday, June 11, 1998, in room B-318 of the Rayburn House Office Building, beginning at 10:00 a.m.
Oral testimony at this hearing will be from invited witnesses only. Witnesses will include Members of Congress, a representative of the Administration, a State coordinator of adoption information, experts in adoption law, child welfare practitioners, and private individuals. Any individual or organization not scheduled for an oral appearance may submit a written statement for consideration by the Committee and for inclusion in the printed record of the hearing.
FOCUS OF THE HEARING:
The hearing will focus on two main issues. First, the Subcommittee will hear testimony about policies that promote the exchange of information between adult adoptees and birth parents. Second, witnesses will discuss existing State practices and Federal guidelines for the screening of persons who care for children.
BACKGROUND:
Adoption Reunion Registries. Although the Federal Government provides funds for adoption and establishes standards, it does not play a direct role in adoption. Most adoptions occur at the State level and are regulated by State statute. Under most State laws, when an adoption takes place, the records providing information about the birthparents and circumstances surrounding the birth are sealed to protect the confidentiality of all the parties: the birthparents, the child, and the adoptive parents.
To provide opportunities for the voluntary exchange of information between adult adoptees and birthparents, almost all States (48) have some procedures in place; 34 States maintain a mutual consent adoption registry that allows persons involved in adoption to register and exchange identifying information. However, States vary substantially in both the procedures used to exchange identifying information and in determining who has access to the information.
To attain uniformity in State adoption laws, in 1994 the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws drafted and adopted the Uniform Adoption Act which provides for the establishment of voluntary mutual consent registries. On November 8, 1997, the Senate passed S.1487, the "National Voluntary Mutual Reunion Registry," which would allow the establishment of a Federal voluntary mutual consent registry, and was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means. This legislation is designed to make it easier for adult adoptees and birthparents to exchange information.
Screening of Adults Working with Children. The "National Child Protection Act of 1993" (P.L. 103-209), "Megan's Law" (P.L. 104-145), which amended the "Violent Crime and Law Enforcement Act of 1994" (P.L. 103-322), and the "Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997" (P.L. 105-89), call for examining criminal records to reduce the exposure of children to abuse by care providers. In April 1998, the U.S. Department of Justice reviewed the different State screening practices including criminal background checks and child abuse registry checks as well as Federal FBI criminal records to develop screening guidelines.
In announcing the hearing, Chairman Shaw stated: "The Subcommittee is holding this hearing to expose Members and the public to a broad range of opinions about two distinct but very important issues. The first issue is the procedures currently used to balance the confidentiality rights of adoptees, birthparents, and adoptive families with the needs of some adult adoptees to exchange information with birthparents. The second issue is the adequacy of local, State, and Federal data bases and practices for the screening of criminal records of individuals who work with children."
DETAILS FOR SUBMISSION OF WRITTEN COMMENTS:
Any person or organization wishing to submit a written statement for the printed record of the hearing should submit six (6) single-spaced copies of their statement, along with an IBM compatible 3.5-inch diskette in WordPerfect 5.1 format, with their name, address, and hearing date noted on a label, by the close of business, Thursday, June 25, 1998, to A.L. Singleton, Chief of Staff, Committee on Ways and Means, U.S. House of Representatives, 1102 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20515. If those filing written statements wish to have their statements distributed to the press and interested public at the hearing, they may deliver 200 additional copies for this purpose to the Subcommittee on Human Resources office, room B-317 Rayburn House Office Building, at least one hour before the hearing begins.
FORMATTING REQUIREMENTS:
Each statement presented for printing to the Committee by a witness, any written statement or exhibit submitted for the printed record or any written comments in response to a request for written comments must conform to the guidelines listed below. Any statement or exhibit not in compliance with these guidelines will not be printed, but will be maintained in the Committee files for review and use by the Committee.
1. All statements and any accompanying exhibits for printing must be submitted on an IBM compatible 3.5-inch diskette WordPerfect 5.1 format, typed in single space and may not exceed a total of 10 pages including attachments. Witnesses are advised that the Committee will rely on electronic submissions for printing the official hearing record.
2. Copies of whole documents submitted as exhibit material will not be accepted for printing. Instead, exhibit material should be referenced and quoted or paraphrased. All exhibit material not meeting these specifications will be maintained in the Committee files for review and use by the Committee.
3. A witness appearing at a public hearing, or submitting a statement for the record of a public hearing, or submitting written comments in response to a published request for comments by the Committee, must include on his statement or submission a list of all clients, persons, or organizations on whose behalf the witness appears.
4. A supplemental sheet must accompany each statement listing the name, company, address, telephone and fax numbers where the witness or the designated representative may be reached. This supplemental sheet will not be included in the printed record.
The above restrictions and limitations apply only to material being submitted for printing. Statements and exhibits or supplementary material submitted solely for distribution to the Members, the press, and the public during the course of a public hearing may be submitted in other forms.
The
Committee seeks to make its facilities accessible to persons with
disabilities. If you are in need of special accommodations, please
call 202-225-1721 or 202-226-3411 TTD/TTY in advance of the event
(four business days notice is requested). Questions with regard to
special accommodation needs in general (including availability of
Committee materials in alternative formats) may be directed to the
Committee as noted above.