A bill that is halfway to being passed would allow U.S. citizens to adopt foreign children up to age 18 and reduce documentation requirements. The International Adoption Harmonization Act of 2010 (HR 5532), passed by the House of Representatives on July 20^th, 2010, would modify an act with respect to foreign adopted adolescents.

This bill changes the Immigration and Nationality Act to define a child, younger than age 18 (currently 16 according to the law), who is "either in the custody of, and has resided with, the adopting parent or parents for at least two years or babttered or subjected to extreme cruelty by the adopting parent or a family member residing in the same household" (http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-h5532/show). Also, children who are citizens of countries that are apart of The Hague Convention or children who are transiting through these countries are exempt from submitting vaccination documentation.

The bill would also restore an international adoption exemption that was inadvertently eliminated when the U.S. joined the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoptions, according to the American Immigration Lawyers Association (http://www.aila.org/content/default.aspx?docid=32677).

This bill has gone through three out of the five steps toward becoming a law. It was introducted and sponsored by Immigration Subcomittee Chairwoman Zoe Lofgren. It was introduced on June 15^th, 2010 and was referred to Committee. The bill was being passed by the House of Representatives, by voice vote, on July 20^th 2010. The next step is to have the bill approved by the Senate of which a date is not yet set. If the Senate approves the bill, the president will sign it to become law or veto it. To track the bill's progress, visit http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h111-5532.