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Every Child Deserves a Family Act

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Official summary

Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · May 19, 2015

Every Child Deserves a Family Act

Prohibits adoption or foster care placement service entities that receive federal assistance (or that contract with entities receiving such assistance) from using the sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status of a prospective adoptive or foster parent, or from using the sexual orientation or gender identity of the child, to: (1) deny a person the opportunity to become an adoptive or foster parent; (2) delay or deny the placement of a child for adoption or into foster care; or (3) require different or additional screenings or procedures for adoptive or foster placement decisions, including whether to seek the termination of birth parent rights or to make a child legally available for adoptive placement.

Allows individuals aggrieved by a violation of this Act to bring an action seeking relief in federal court.

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Directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to publish guidance on legal compliance and to assist entities with casework practices, recruitment efforts, and cultural competency training.

Allows HHS to withhold payments under part B (Child and Family Services) or part E (Foster Care and Adoption Assistance) of title IV of the Social Security Act to states that fail to comply with this Act.

Read the summary on Congress.gov
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Who introduced it

Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY] · D–NY

Committees

  • Finance Committee
20 cosponsorship records, including any withdrawals

Actions

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  1. Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

  2. Introduced in Senate

Bill text & related measures

Text links open the official source. We currently store references to these documents.

Related bills identified by Congress.gov

Source last updated: Dec 5, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.

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