Washington, D.C. – Today, the Ways and Means Committee released draft legislation to extend and improve the Adoption Incentives program.  The draft was developed with the goal of producing bipartisan legislation based on testimony received at a Human Resources Subcommittee hearing earlier this year.  A detailed summary of the draft legislation can also be found at www.waysandmeans.house.gov/AdoptionIncentives. 

The Adoption Incentives program is authorized under current law through September 30, 2013.  The draft legislation would:

1. Extend the authorization of the program through FY 2016;
2. Add an award for placements with legal guardians;
3. Provide awards based on improvements in the rate of adoption and other permanent placements, even as the number of children in foster care declines; and
4. Require States to report on savings resulting from the ongoing phase-out of certain federal adoption assistance eligibility requirements, and to use at least 20 percent of such savings for post-adoption services.    

The public is encouraged to submit comments on the draft legislation by email at AdoptionIncentives@mail.house.gov no later than August 30, 2013.  The public is also encouraged to submit comments regarding the Guardians for Children Act (H.R. 2979), related legislation introduced by Rep. Doggett that clarifies the treatment of successor guardians under the Guardianship Assistance Program.