S. 3223

119 S3223 IS: Hospital Adoption Education Act of 2025
 U.S. Senate
 2025-11-19
 text/xml
 EN
 Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.
 II  119th CONGRESS  1st Session  S. 3223  IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES   November 19, 2025   Mr. Husted  (for himself and  Mr. Mullin ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the  Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions    A BILL
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.
1.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the   Hospital Adoption Education Act of 2025  .
2.
Findings
Congress finds the following:
(1)
24 percent of people of the United States 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 people of the United States consider hospitals and health care facilities to be trustworthy sources of information about adoption.
(5)
98.2 percent of nurses have no formal professional training in the sensitivities around adoption.
(6)
Fewer than 1 percent of women with unintended pregnancies place their children through adoption.
3.
Development and dissemination of adoption resources
Title II of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment and Adoption Reform Act of 1978 ( 42 U.S.C. 5111 et seq. ) is amended—
(1)
by redesignating section 205 as section 208;
(2)
by inserting after section 204 the following:
205.
Development and dissemination of adoption resources
(a)
In general
(1)
Development and dissemination of resources
The Secretary shall develop and nationally disseminate accurate, relevant, and accessible resources to promote understanding about—
(A)
the sensitivities in the health care industry regarding adoption; and
(B)
best practices when interacting with prospective birth mothers and adoptive families.
(2)
Requirements
The resources described in 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 web page on adoption resources to improve the awareness and understanding of health care workers regarding adoption.
(c)
Development process
(1)
Committee
The Secretary shall develop the resources under subsections (a) and (b) in consultation with a committee of adoption experts.
(2)
Membership
The membership of the committee described 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.
206.
Education and professional development for care providers regarding patient care for prospective birth mothers and potential adoptive families
(a)
In general
The Secretary, acting through the Assistant Secretary for the Administration for Children and Families, directly or through grants or contracts awarded 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 providers.
(b)
Grants or contracts
With respect to a grant or contract awarded for the purposes described in subsection (a), the following 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 care 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 health care 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; and
(C)
shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information and assurances as the Secretary may require.
(2)
Period
The period of a grant or contract awarded under this section shall not exceed 3 fiscal years.
(3)
Reports
As a condition on receipt of a grant or contract under this section, an eligible entity shall 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.
(4)
Supplement not supplant
Activities carried out using funds made available through a grant or contract awarded under this section shall supplement, and not supplant, activities carried out by such entity 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 the  Hospital Adoption Education Act of 2025 , the Secretary shall complete the evaluation under paragraph (1) and submit to Congress a report that contains the results of such evaluation, including the calculations under subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (1).
207.
Definitions
In this title:
(1)
The term  birth mother  means a woman who terminates parental rights with respect to her baby and allows for placement of such baby with adoptive parents.
(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.
 ;
(3)
in section 203(d)(3)(A) ( 42 U.S.C. 5113(d)(3)(A) ), by striking  section 205(a)  and inserting  section 208(a) ; and
(4)
in section 208, as so redesignated—
(A)
in subsection (a), by striking  this subtitle  and inserting  this title (other than sections 205 and 206) ;
(B)
by redesignating subsection (c) as subsection (d); and
(C)
by inserting after subsection (b) the following:
(c)
The Secretary shall carry out sections 205 and 206 using amounts otherwise made available to the Administration for Children and Families.
 .