42 U.S.C. § 14931
The Secretary of State shall, with respect to each Convention adoption, issue a certificate to the adoptive citizen parent domiciled in the United States that the adoption has been granted or, in the case of a prospective adoptive citizen parent, that legal custody of the child has been granted to the citizen parent for purposes of emigration and adoption, pursuant to the Convention and this chapter, if the Secretary of State-
If appended to an original adoption decree, the certificate described in paragraph (1) shall be treated by Federal and State agencies, courts, and other public and private persons and entities as conclusive evidence of the facts certified therein and shall constitute the certification required by section 1154(d)(2) of title 8.
A final adoption in another Convention country, certified by the Secretary of State pursuant to subsection (a) of this section or section 14932(c) of this title, shall be recognized as a final valid adoption for purposes of all Federal, State, and local laws of the United States.
In the case of a child who has entered the United States from another Convention country for the purpose of adoption, an order declaring the adoption final shall not be entered unless the Secretary of State has issued the certificate provided for in subsection (a) with respect to the adoption.
42 U.S.C. § 14931
EDITORIAL NOTES
REFERENCES IN TEXTThis chapter, referred to in subsec. (a)(1), was in the original "this Act", meaning Pub. L. 106-279, 114 Stat. 825, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 14901 of this title and Tables.
STATUTORY NOTES AND RELATED SUBSIDIARIES
EFFECTIVE DATESection effective upon entry into force for the United States of the Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption, pursuant to Article 46(2)(a) of the Convention, with transition rule, see section 505(a)(2), (b) of Pub. L. 106-279 set out as an Effective Dates; Transition Rule note under section 14901 of this title.
- Convention adoption
- The term "Convention adoption" means an adoption of a child resident in a foreign country party to the Convention by a United States citizen, or an adoption of a child resident in the United States by an individual residing in another Convention country.
- Convention country
- The term "Convention country" means a country party to the Convention.
- Convention
- The term "Convention" means the Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption, done at The Hague on May 29, 1993.
- State
- The term "State" means the 50 States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and the Virgin Islands.
- central authority
- The term "central authority" means the entity designated as such by any Convention country under Article 6(1) of the Convention.
- Secretary
- the term "Secretary" means- (A) the Secretary of Education for purposes of subtitle A (other than section 3201),(B) the Secretary of Agriculture for purposes of the amendments made by section 3201, and(C) the Secretary of Health and Human Services for purposes of subtitle B,