This bill requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to create and maintain a publicly available national list of private adoption agencies that are licensed and in good standing with their states. Each state participating in the federal child welfare program must submit an annual list of qualified private child placement agencies to the federal government by January 1st each year, and the federal government will compile these into a single national database. The Secretary must also submit a yearly report to Congress detailing which agencies are on the list, identifying any state-licensed agencies missing from it, and describing any disciplinary actions states have taken against adoption agencies. States that fail to comply with the annual list submission requirement will lose eligibility for federal adoption and legal guardianship incentive payments. The bill aims to increase transparency and oversight of the private adoption industry by creating a centralized, searchable resource for prospective adoptive families and policymakers.
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