On December 11, the House approved, 398-0, the Sean and David Goldman International Child Abduction and Return Act (H.R. 3212). The House Foreign Affairs Committee approved the legislation on October 10 (see The Source, 10/11/13).
The bill would require the secretary of State to report annually on the number of international child abductions. In order to help resolve cases of international child abduction, the measure would require the State Department to enter into memoranda of understanding (MOU) with countries that are not parties to the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction (Convention). The State Department also would assist American parents of abducted children in resolving such cases.
The president would be authorized to take diplomatic action against countries that fail to cooperate in resolving such cases.
