PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Congressional Research Service
Version 17 · Reported to House with amendment(s) · Apr 28, 1997
Adoption Promotion Act of 1997 - Amends the Social Security Act to provide that in cases of aggravated circumstances (including abuse, abandonment, and torture), the States are not required to first make reasonable efforts to retain children in their own homes as a prerequisite to placing a child in foster care. (Sec. 3) Requires a State to initiate or join proceedings to terminate parental rights for children under age ten who have been in foster care under State responsibility for 18 months. (Sec. 4) Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make adoption incentive payments to States for the number of foster child adoptions and special needs adoptions that exceed the base number of such adoptions for the fiscal year. Authorizes appropriations. (Sec. 5) Provides for earlier status reviews and permanency hearings, notice of reviews and hearings, and opportunity to be heard for foster parents and pertinent relatives. (Sec. 7) Mandates State case review system documentation of the steps taken to find and finalize permanent child placement. (Sec. 8) Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) report and make recommendations to specified congressional committees on the extent to which children in foster care are placed in the care of a relative (kinship care); and (2) establish an advisory panel to review such report. (Sec. 9) Authorizes use of the parent locator service in termination of parental rights proceedings. (Sec. 10) Instructs the Secretary to: (1) develop a set of outcome measures to assess the performance of States in operating child protection programs; and (2) to report annually to the Congress on the performance of each State on each outcome measure. (Sec. 11) Increases from 10 to 15 the authorized number of State child protection demonstration projects. (Sec. 12) Prescribes guidelines for technical assistance to help States and assistance communities to reach their targets for increased numbers of adoptions and alternative permanent placements for children in foster care care (including development of programs that place children into pre-adoptive adoptive families without waiting for termination of parental rights). (Sec. 13) Instructs the Secretary to report to certain congressional committees regarding the scope of substance abuse in the child welfare population, and the outcomes resulting from the services provided to such population. (Sec. 14) Modifies the eligibility criteria for Independent Living Services.
People & committees
Rep. Camp, Dave [R-MI-4] · R–MI
Legislative record
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Became Public Law No: 105-89.
Became Public Law No: 105-89.
Signed by President.
Signed by President.
Presented to President.
Presented to President.
Message on Senate action sent to the House.
Senate agreed to House amendment to Senate amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S12668-12675)
Resolving differences -- Senate actions: Senate agreed to House amendment to Senate amendment by Unanimous Consent.(consideration: CR S12668-12675)
Message on House action received in Senate and at desk: House amendment to Senate amendment.
House agreed to Senate amendment with amendment pursuant to H. Res. 327. (consideration: CR H10794)
Resolving differences -- House actions: House agreed to Senate amendment with amendment pursuant to H. Res. 327.(consideration: CR H10794)
Message on Senate action sent to the House.
Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
Amendment SP 1614 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.
Amendment SP 1614 proposed by Senator Craig.
Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent. (consideration: CR S12198-12202)
Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 66.
Read the first time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under Read the First Time.
Received in the Senate.
The Clerk was authorized to correct section numbers, punctuation, and cross references, and to make other necessary technical and conforming corrections in the engrossment of H.R. 867.
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 416 - 5 (Roll no. 96).
House roll call 96 · Individual votesPassed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 416 - 5 (Roll no. 96).
House roll call 96 · Individual votesThe House adopted the amendment in the nature of a substitute as agreed to by the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union.
The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule.
The House rose from the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union to report H.R. 867.
GENERAL DEBATE - The Committee of the Whole proceeded with one hour of general debate.
The Speaker designated the Honorable James E. Rogan to act as Chairman of the Committee.
House resolved itself into the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union pursuant to H. Res. 134 and Rule XXIII.
Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 867 with 1 hour of general debate. Previous question shall be considered as ordered without intervening motions except motion to recommit. Bill is open to amendments. It shall be in order to consider as an original bill for the purpose of amendment the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on Ways and Means now printed in the bill, modified as specified in the report accompanying this resolution.
Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 134. (consideration: CR H2015-2035)
Rule H. Res. 134 passed House.
Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 134 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 867 with 1 hour of general debate. Previous question shall be considered as ordered without intervening motions except motion to recommit. Bill is open to amendments. It shall be in order to consider as an original bill for the purpose of amendment the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on Ways and Means now printed in the bill, modified as specified in the report accompanying this resolution.
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 52.
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Ways and Means. H. Rept. 105-77.
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Ways and Means. H. Rept. 105-77.
Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee (Amended) by Voice Vote.
Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Subcommittee Hearings Held.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Human Resources.
Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
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Source last updated: Apr 7, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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Analyze H.R.867 as objectively as possible. Explain its main provisions, who would be affected, possible benefits and harms, implementation, exceptions, and uncertainties. Present the strongest arguments for and against it, and identify evidence needed to assess its public impact.
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