ADOPT Act of 2025
Analysis under review: This bill has generated analysis that may be too generic or incomplete. Clause-level evidence remains available below.
Summary
What This Bill Does
The bill creates new federal criminal offense for unlicensed adoption intermediary services, unauthorized adoption advertising, and unauthorized direct payments exceeding $2,500 to birth parents and defines unlawful adoption practices as new Section 228A of title 18 U.S.C. It relies on compliance mandates and definition changes. The main policy areas are Social Welfare, Criminal Justice, Finance, and Technology.
Who Benefits and How
Attorneys practicing adoption law could gain revenue opportunities and Attorneys licensed in state where services provided could gain revenue opportunities.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Unlicensed adoption facilitators and intermediaries would take on compliance duties, Licensed private adoption agencies could face higher barriers, and Prospective adoptive parents making direct payments would take on compliance duties.
Key Provisions
- Creates new federal criminal offense for unlicensed adoption intermediary services, unauthorized adoption advertising, and unauthorized direct payments exceeding $2,500 to birth parents.
- Defines unlawful adoption practices as new Section 228A of title 18 U.S.C.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
The bill creates new federal criminal offense for unlicensed adoption intermediary services, unauthorized adoption advertising, and unauthorized direct payments exceeding $2,500 to birth parents and defines unlawful adoption practices as new Section 228A of title 18 U.S.C.
Key Policy Areas
Social Welfare, Criminal Justice, Finance, Technology
Primary Purpose
The bill creates new federal criminal offense for unlicensed adoption intermediary services, unauthorized adoption advertising, and unauthorized direct payments exceeding $2,500 to birth parents and defines unlawful adoption practices as new Section 228A of title 18 U.S.C.
Policy Domains
Section 3 - Adoption Offense
Identified Gains
- Attorneys practicing adoption law
- Attorneys licensed in state where services provided
Identified Costs
- Unlicensed adoption facilitators and intermediaries
- Licensed private adoption agencies
- Prospective adoptive parents making direct payments
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
In CommitteeMs. Klobuchar (for herself, Mrs. Britt, Mr. Blumenthal, Mrs. Blackburn, …
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Introduced in Senate
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations contracted by public agencies, Licensed private adoption agencies, Unlicensed adoption facilitators and intermediaries
Positive-direction: Licensed private adoption agencies
Negative-direction: Unlicensed adoption facilitators and intermediaries
Attorneys licensed in state where services provided, Attorneys practicing adoption law
Prospective adoptive parents making direct payments
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
A paid advertisement, article, notice, or other paid communication published in any media that solicits prospective adoptive parents or placing parents, or offers to disburse anything of value to a placing parent in connection with adoption.
The provision of services for compensation including soliciting placing or prospective adoptive parents, or acting as a link between them for placement of a child for adoption.
A parent with legal authority to place the child for adoption.
Any government child welfare or child protection agency with legal authority to place children for adoption.
A licensed or State approved agency with legal authority to place children for adoption.
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology