Indian Child Welfare Act Amendments of 2002 - Amends the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 concerning: (1) jurisdiction over child custody and child adoption proceedings, including transfers and special rules for Indian tribes in Alaska; (2) transfer of jurisdiction to tribal court, excluding cases where there is no subject matter jurisdiction or a transfer would cause undue hardship; (3) intervention in state court proceedings, including the intervention rights of the extended family; (4) full faith and credit, including tribal court judgments; (5) pending court proceedings, including notice requirements and a prohibition against prebirth involuntary custody proceedings; (6) voluntary termination of parental rights, including an explanation of placement options and treating certain Indian custodians as parents; (7) withdrawal of consent before a final decree, as specified; (8) notice to Indian tribes of the voluntary termination of parental rights or voluntary placement of a child; (9) content of notice based on a good faith investigation; (10) intervention by an Indian tribe upon filing a notice of intent or a written objection; (11) written notice to parents of a terminated or changed adoptive placement or a commenced proceeding to adopt; (12) invalidation of child custody proceedings, including the right to petition of a member of the child's extended family previously rejected as a placement; (13) notice to extended family members; (14) expanded release of information concerning the tribal affiliation of biological parents; (15) resumption of jurisdiction over child custody proceedings by Indian tribes, as specified; (16) agreements between States and Indian tribes as they affect jurisdiction; (17) criminal sanctions for fraudulent representation during Indian child adoption proceedings; (18) visitation as an enforceable right; (18) promulgating regulations governing compliance reviews; and (19) the application of these requirements to children of State-recognized tribes.
No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Aug 19, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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