ADOPT Act of 2025

Protection from Exploitation: The bill aims to protect individuals and families from being exploited by unlicensed adoption intermediaries during private domestic interstate adoptions (Section 2).

Access to Regulated Providers: It seeks to ensure that people seeking help with private domestic interstate adoption can easily access licensed and regulated providers within their communities (Section 2).

Prevention of Commodification: The act is designed to prevent children from being treated as commodities during private domestic interstate adoptions (Section 2).

Exceptions for Legitimate Professionals: The law provides exceptions so that certain groups, such as public child-placing agencies, private licensed child-placing agencies, and licensed attorneys, are not penalized for their legal services (Section 3(b), 3(c), and 3(d)).

Criminal Penalties for Individuals: Individuals found guilty of providing unlawful adoption intermediary services or placing unauthorized advertisements can be fined up to $50,000 and imprisoned for up to 5 years (Section 3(f)).

Financial Penalties for Organizations: Organizations that violate these provisions can face fines of $100,000 per violation (Section 3(f)).

Restrictions on Payments: There are strict rules against providing anything of value to a placing parent exceeding $2,500 before they consult with a licensed agency or attorney, which could impact how certain adoption-related expenses are handled (Section 3(d)).