Bill · S. 604· Senate(119-S-604)
Safe Home Act of 2025
- Introduced
- 2/13/2025
- Last activity
- 2/13/2025 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- Sponsored by
- Amy Klobuchar
- Cosponsors
- - 0 - 1
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Safe Home Act of 2025 aims to amend the adoption opportunities program by defining "unregulated custody transfers" of children. This bill seeks to improve the awareness and prevention of these transfers to protect children from potential instability or unsafe environments. It establishes a formal definition for these transfers, which involve placing a child with someone other than specific relatives or known friends without formal legal processes or safety checks. The legislation directs the Secretary to improve public awareness and update federal resources to help agencies and prospective families. Additionally, it mandates a comprehensive report to Congress regarding the causes, prevalence, and effects of these unregulated transfers.
Yes· 3 of 6
Would children be better off under this?+6
The bill enhances child safety by establishing protocols to prevent unregulated transfers that bypass background checks and safety assessments.
Would Native Americans be better off under this?+2
The bill explicitly mentions the inclusion of tribal members in the definition of family for custody purposes.
Would immigrants be better off under this?+2
The bill protects the legal status and citizenship path of children participating in intercountry adoptions.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Increased Safety for Children: The bill addresses concerns that unregulated transfers may bypass essential safety measures like child welfare or criminal background checks (Section 2, (a)(3)).
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Prevention of Trauma and Instability: By improving awareness and prevention, the bill aims to reduce the disruption and trauma that can occur when children are placed in new homes through unregulated transfers (Section 2, (a)(2)).
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Support for Adoptive Families: The bill directs the updating of federal resources to provide prospective adoptive families with information on accessing pre-adoption education and post-adoption services (Section 2, (c)(2)(B)).
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Protection of Legal Status: The bill identifies that children in intercountry adoptions may be at risk of not acquiring United States citizenship if an unregulated transfer occurs prematurely (Section 2, (a)(7)).
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Improved Resources for State and Local Agencies: The Secretary is tasked with providing education materials to help employees of State, local, and Tribal agencies prevent, identify, and respond to these transfers (Section 2, (c)(2)(A)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No specific negative impacts or burdens are explicitly stated within the provided text.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Children+6Good For Immigrants+2Good For Native Americans+2
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Pathway To Citizenship+2Improves Poverty Reduction+1Improves Racial Equity+1
- 2/13/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in Senate
Kevin CramerRepublican · North Dakota