New federal law would criminalize unlawful adoption practices to protect families and children.
This bill would make it a federal crime to provide adoption services or advertising without a license. It would also make it illegal to pay birth parents more than $2,500 for expenses before they talk to a licensed agency or attorney. These changes aim to protect families and children from exploitation in adoptions across state lines.
Today, federal law does not specifically make it a crime to provide adoption services or advertising without a license, or to make certain payments to birth parents. This bill would change federal law to criminalize these actions, making it illegal to offer unlicensed adoption services, place unlicensed ads, or provide over $2,500 in payments to a birth parent before they consult with a licensed professional. Violators would face fines of $50,000 for individuals and $100,000 for organizations, and individuals could also face up to 5 years in prison.
HR 6170 · 119th Congress · AI Summary by gemini-2.5-flash · 9/10
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Amounts reflect total quarterly lobbying spend reported to the Senate, not bill-specific spending. Source: Senate LDA filings.