{"identifier":"/us/usc/t42/s14902","title":42,"num":"\u00a7\u202f14902.","heading":"Definitions","text":"\u00a7\u202f14902.\nDefinitions\nAs used in this chapter:\n(1)\nAccredited agency\nThe term \u201caccredited agency\u201d means an agency accredited under subchapter II to provide adoption services in the United States in cases subject to the Convention.\n(2)\nAccrediting entity\nThe term \u201caccrediting entity\u201d means an entity designated under\nsection 14922(a) of this title\n(3)\nAdoption service\nThe term \u201cadoption service\u201d means\u2014\n(A) identifying a child for adoption and arranging an adoption;\n(B) securing necessary consent to termination of parental rights and to adoption;\n(C) performing a background study on a child or a home study on a prospective adoptive parent, and reporting on such a study;\n(D) making determinations of the best interests of a child and the appropriateness of adoptive placement for the child;\n(E) post-placement monitoring of a case until final adoption; and\n(F) where made necessary by disruption before final adoption, assuming custody and providing child care or any other social service pending an alternative placement.\nThe term \u201cproviding\u201d, with respect to an adoption service, includes facilitating the provision of the service.\n(4)\nAgency\nThe term \u201cagency\u201d means any person other than an individual.\n(5)\nApproved person\nThe term \u201capproved person\u201d means a person approved under subchapter II to provide adoption services in the United States in cases subject to the Convention.\n(6)\nAttorney General\nExcept as used in\nsection 14944 of this title\n(7)\nCentral authority\nThe term \u201ccentral authority\u201d means the entity designated as such by any Convention country under Article 6(1) of the Convention.\n(8)\nCentral authority function\nThe term \u201ccentral authority function\u201d means any duty required to be carried out by a central authority under the Convention.\n(9)\nConvention\nThe term \u201cConvention\u201d means the Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption, done at The Hague on\nMay 29, 1993\n(10)\nConvention adoption\nThe term \u201cConvention adoption\u201d 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.\n(11)\nConvention record\nThe term \u201cConvention record\u201d means any item, collection, or grouping of information contained in an electronic or physical document, an electronic collection of data, a photograph, an audio or video tape, or any other information storage medium of any type whatever that contains information about a specific past, current, or prospective Convention adoption (regardless of whether the adoption was made final) that has been preserved in accordance with\nsection 14941(a) of this title\n(12)\nConvention country\nThe term \u201cConvention country\u201d means a country party to the Convention.\n(13)\nOther Convention country\nThe term \u201cother Convention country\u201d means a Convention country other than the United States.\n(14)\nPerson\nThe term \u201cperson\u201d shall have the meaning provided in\nsection 1 of title 1\n(15)\nPerson with an ownership or control interest\nThe term \u201cperson with an ownership or control interest\u201d has the meaning given such term in\nsection 1320a\u20133(a)(3) of this title\n(16)\nSecretary\nThe term \u201cSecretary\u201d means the Secretary of State.\n(17)\nState\nThe term \u201cState\u201d 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.","url":"https://projectusc.org/usc/t42/s14902.html","content":[{"t":"sec","id":"/us/usc/t42/s14902","children":[{"t":"num","text":"\u00a7\u202f14902."},{"t":"heading","text":"Definitions","tail":"\n"},{"t":"chapeau","text":"As used in this chapter:"},{"t":"para","id":"/us/usc/t42/s14902/1","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(1)"},{"t":"heading","text":"Accredited agency"},{"t":"content","children":[{"t":"p","text":"The term \u201caccredited agency\u201d means an agency accredited under subchapter II to provide adoption services in the United States in cases subject to the Convention.","tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"},{"t":"para","id":"/us/usc/t42/s14902/2","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(2)"},{"t":"heading","text":"Accrediting entity"},{"t":"content","children":[{"t":"p","text":"The term \u201caccrediting entity\u201d means an entity designated under ","children":[{"t":"ref","text":"section 14922(a) of this title","href":"/us/usc/t42/s14922/a","tail":" to accredit agencies and approve persons under subchapter II."}],"tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"},{"t":"para","id":"/us/usc/t42/s14902/3","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(3)"},{"t":"heading","text":"Adoption service"},{"t":"chapeau","text":"The term \u201cadoption service\u201d means\u2014"},{"t":"subpara","id":"/us/usc/t42/s14902/3/A","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(A)"},{"t":"content","text":" identifying a child for adoption and arranging an adoption;","tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"},{"t":"subpara","id":"/us/usc/t42/s14902/3/B","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(B)"},{"t":"content","text":" securing necessary consent to termination of parental rights and to adoption;","tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"},{"t":"subpara","id":"/us/usc/t42/s14902/3/C","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(C)"},{"t":"content","text":" performing a background study on a child or a home study on a prospective adoptive parent, and reporting on such a study;","tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"},{"t":"subpara","id":"/us/usc/t42/s14902/3/D","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(D)"},{"t":"content","text":" making determinations of the best interests of a child and the appropriateness of adoptive placement for the child;","tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"},{"t":"subpara","id":"/us/usc/t42/s14902/3/E","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(E)"},{"t":"content","text":" post-placement monitoring of a case until final adoption; and","tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"},{"t":"subpara","id":"/us/usc/t42/s14902/3/F","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(F)"},{"t":"content","text":" where made necessary by disruption before final adoption, assuming custody and providing child care or any other social service pending an alternative placement.","tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n\n"},{"t":"continuation","text":"The term \u201cproviding\u201d, with respect to an adoption service, includes facilitating the provision of the service.","tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"},{"t":"para","id":"/us/usc/t42/s14902/4","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(4)"},{"t":"heading","text":"Agency"},{"t":"content","children":[{"t":"p","text":"The term \u201cagency\u201d means any person other than an individual.","tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"},{"t":"para","id":"/us/usc/t42/s14902/5","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(5)"},{"t":"heading","text":"Approved person"},{"t":"content","children":[{"t":"p","text":"The term \u201capproved person\u201d means a person approved under subchapter II to provide adoption services in the United States in cases subject to the Convention.","tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"},{"t":"para","id":"/us/usc/t42/s14902/6","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(6)"},{"t":"heading","text":"Attorney General"},{"t":"content","children":[{"t":"p","text":"Except as used in ","children":[{"t":"ref","text":"section 14944 of this title","href":"/us/usc/t42/s14944","tail":", the term \u201cAttorney General\u201d means the Attorney General, acting through the Commissioner of Immigration and Naturalization."}],"tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"},{"t":"para","id":"/us/usc/t42/s14902/7","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(7)"},{"t":"heading","text":"Central authority"},{"t":"content","children":[{"t":"p","text":"The term \u201ccentral authority\u201d means the entity designated as such by any Convention country under Article 6(1) of the Convention.","tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"},{"t":"para","id":"/us/usc/t42/s14902/8","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(8)"},{"t":"heading","text":"Central authority function"},{"t":"content","children":[{"t":"p","text":"The term \u201ccentral authority function\u201d means any duty required to be carried out by a central authority under the Convention.","tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"},{"t":"para","id":"/us/usc/t42/s14902/9","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(9)"},{"t":"heading","text":"Convention"},{"t":"content","children":[{"t":"p","text":"The term \u201cConvention\u201d means the Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption, done at The Hague on ","children":[{"t":"text","text":"May 29, 1993","tail":"."}],"tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"},{"t":"para","id":"/us/usc/t42/s14902/10","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(10)"},{"t":"heading","text":"Convention adoption"},{"t":"content","children":[{"t":"p","text":"The term \u201cConvention adoption\u201d 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.","tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"},{"t":"para","id":"/us/usc/t42/s14902/11","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(11)"},{"t":"heading","text":"Convention record"},{"t":"content","children":[{"t":"p","text":"The term \u201cConvention record\u201d means any item, collection, or grouping of information contained in an electronic or physical document, an electronic collection of data, a photograph, an audio or video tape, or any other information storage medium of any type whatever that contains information about a specific past, current, or prospective Convention adoption (regardless of whether the adoption was made final) that has been preserved in accordance with ","children":[{"t":"ref","text":"section 14941(a) of this title","href":"/us/usc/t42/s14941/a","tail":" by the Secretary of State or the Attorney General."}],"tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"},{"t":"para","id":"/us/usc/t42/s14902/12","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(12)"},{"t":"heading","text":"Convention country"},{"t":"content","children":[{"t":"p","text":"The term \u201cConvention country\u201d means a country party to the Convention.","tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"},{"t":"para","id":"/us/usc/t42/s14902/13","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(13)"},{"t":"heading","text":"Other Convention country"},{"t":"content","children":[{"t":"p","text":"The term \u201cother Convention country\u201d means a Convention country other than the United States.","tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"},{"t":"para","id":"/us/usc/t42/s14902/14","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(14)"},{"t":"heading","text":"Person"},{"t":"content","children":[{"t":"p","text":"The term \u201cperson\u201d shall have the meaning provided in ","children":[{"t":"ref","text":"section 1 of title 1","href":"/us/usc/t1/s1","tail":" and shall not include any agency of government or tribal government entity."}],"tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"},{"t":"para","id":"/us/usc/t42/s14902/15","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(15)"},{"t":"heading","text":"Person with an ownership or control interest"},{"t":"content","children":[{"t":"p","text":"The term \u201cperson with an ownership or control interest\u201d has the meaning given such term in ","children":[{"t":"ref","text":"section 1320a\u20133(a)(3) of this title","href":"/us/usc/t42/s1320a\u20133/a/3","tail":"."}],"tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"},{"t":"para","id":"/us/usc/t42/s14902/16","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(16)"},{"t":"heading","text":"Secretary"},{"t":"content","children":[{"t":"p","text":"The term \u201cSecretary\u201d means the Secretary of State.","tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"},{"t":"para","id":"/us/usc/t42/s14902/17","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(17)"},{"t":"heading","text":"State"},{"t":"content","children":[{"t":"p","text":"The term \u201cState\u201d 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.","tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"},{"t":"text","text":"\n"},{"t":"text","text":"\n"}]}]}