Adoption Counts Act

HR 6700, the Adoption Counts Act, requires state courts that finalize voluntary adoptions (via consent or relinquishment) to submit annual reports to the Children’s Bureau. These reports must include the adoptee’s age at adoption (categorized as under 1, 1-3, 3-18, or 18+), whether the adoptive parents were a step-parent, relative, or guardian, if the adoption involved gestational surrogacy, and if it was an international placement (with optional race data). The bill directly affects state courts handling such adoptions, mandating standardized data collection starting in the first calendar year after enactment. This focuses on improving federal tracking of adoption demographics, not altering adoption laws or rights.