April 10, 2025
Mr. Smucker (for himself, Mr. Davis of North Carolina, and Mr. Kelly of Pennsylvania) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce
To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop and nationally disseminate accurate, relevant, and accessible resources to promote understanding about sensitivities regarding adoption in the health care industry, and for other purposes.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Hospital Adoption Education Act of 2025
.
Sec. 2. Findings
The Congress finds the following:
(1)
24 percent of Americans say that they have considered adopting a child.
(2)
80 percent of women who consider adoption do so after their sixth month of pregnancy.
(3)
81 percent of birth parents report that easy access to objective information is important to them when making the decision to choose adoption.
(4)
93 percent of Americans consider hospitals and health care facilities to be trustworthy sources of information about adoption.
(5)
98.2 percent of nurses have no professional development in the sensitivities around adoption.
(6)
Less than 1 percent of women with unintended pregnancies place their children through adoption.
Sec. 3. Development and dissemination of adoption resources
(a) In general
The Secretary of Health and Human Services—
(1)
shall develop and nationally disseminate accurate, relevant, and accessible resources to promote understanding about—
(A)
the sensitivities regarding adoption in the health care industry; and
(B)
best practices when interacting with prospective birth mothers and adoptive families; and
(2)
in carrying out paragraph (1)—
(A)
shall include digital resources; and
(B)
may include other types of resources, such as print resources.
(b) Online adoption resources for health care workers
The Secretary shall maintain on the public website of the Administration for Children and Families a webpage on adoption resources for health care workers to improve the awareness and understanding of such workers regarding adoption.
(c) Development process
(1) Committee
The Secretary shall develop the resources required by subsections (a) and (b) through a committee of adoption experts.
(2) Membership
The membership of the committee referred to in paragraph (1) shall include—
(A)
representatives of organizations involved in adoption education;
(B)
maternal health experts;
(C)
child welfare experts;
(D)
licensed social workers;
(E)
hospital case managers; and
(F)
adoption attorneys.
Sec. 4. Education and professional development for care providers regarding patient care for families pursuing adoption, including prospective birth mothers and potential adoptive families
(a) In general
The Secretary, acting through the Administration for Children and Families, directly or through grants or contracts in accordance with subsection (b), shall—
(1)
provide to care providers at hospitals and birthing centers education and professional development regarding patient care for families pursuing adoption, including prospective birth mothers and potential adoptive families; and
(2)
provide consultation services to hospitals and birthing centers employing care providers on standardized policies, guidelines, and procedures regarding such education and professional development for such care providers.
(b) Grants or contracts
If the Secretary chooses to provide education, professional development, or consultation services under subsection (a) through the award of a grant or contract, the following provisions shall apply:
(1) Eligibility
To be eligible for such an award, an entity—
(A)
shall—
(i)
be a health care-based, nonprofit education organization that focuses on adoption;
(ii)
partner with healthcare professionals, hospitals, birthing centers, and community organizations to implement patient-centered care models;
(iii)
emphasize holistic parenting support in the perinatal setting; and
(iv)
have demonstrated experience providing non-directive education to healthcare professionals supporting expectant parents considering adoption, parenting, and kinship care;
(B)
shall not—
(i)
be or represent a child-placing agency;
(ii)
provide or refer for abortions; or
(iii)
hold any other vested interest in a particular pregnancy outcome.
(2) Application
To seek such an award, an eligible entity shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information and assurances as the Secretary may require.
(3) Period
The period of such an award shall not exceed 3 fiscal years.
(4) Reports
As a condition on receipt of such an award, an eligible entity shall agree to submit to the Secretary each fiscal year a report on the activities carried out through the award. Each such report shall include such information as the Secretary determines is necessary to provide an accurate description of such activities.
(5) Supplement not supplant
Activities carried out using funds made available through such an award shall supplement, and not supplant, activities carried out using other funds made available from the Federal Government or other sources.
(c) Technical assistance; coordination
The Secretary shall—
(1)
provide technical assistance to eligible entities regarding activities carried out through an award under this section; and
(2)
as appropriate, coordinate the provision of education, professional development, and consultation services under subsection (a) with other adoption-related research, professional development, services, and assistance activities carried out by the Department of Health and Human Services.
(d) Evaluation
(1) In general
The Secretary shall evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of the activities carried out (directly or through grants or contracts) under this section, including by calculating—
(A)
the number of hospitals and birthing centers that implement adoption-sensitive programming and education and professional development as a result of the activities under this section; and
(B)
the number of care providers who receive adoption education or professional development as a result of the activities under this section.
(2) Report to Congress
Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall complete the evaluation under paragraph (1) and submit to the Congress a report that contains the results of such evaluation, including the calculations under subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (1).
Sec. 5. Definitions
In this Act:
(1)
The term birth mother means a woman who places her baby with the adoptive parents and terminates parental rights.
(2)
The term care provider includes any health care personnel (including bedside staff) and ancillary staff who have contact in a hospital or birthing center with expectant mothers, birth mothers, and potential adoptive families.
(3)
The term child-placing agency means a business or service conducted, maintained, or operated by a person engaged in finding homes for newborn infants by placing, or arranging for the placement of, such newborn infants for adoption or foster care.
(4)
The term potential adoptive family means one or more individuals who are actively seeking to adopt a child.
(5)
The term Secretary means the Secretary of Health and Human Services.
Sec. 6. Authorization of appropriations
To carry out this Act, there is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Health and Human Services $5,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2026 through 2029.