Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 114 Part 1.djvu/864

 114 STAT. 828 PUBLIC LAW 106-279—OCT. 6, 2000 42 USC 14912. Deadline. Notice. (1) Except as otherwise provided in this Act, the Secretary shall be responsible for the performance of all central authority functions for the United States under the Convention and this Act. (2) All personnel of the Department of State performing core central authority functions in a professional capacity in the Office of Children's Issues shall have a strong background in consular affairs, personal experience in international adoptions, or professional experience in international adoptions or child services. (c) AUTHORITY To ISSUE REGULATIONS.— Except as otherwise provided in this Act, the Secretary may prescribe such regulations as may be necessary to carry out central authority functions on behalf of the United States. SEC. 102. RESPONSmiliTIES OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (a) LIAISON RESPONSIBILITIES.—The Secretary shall have responsibility for— (1) liaison with the central authorities of other Convention countries; and (2) the coordination of activities under the Convention by persons subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. (b) INFORMATION EXCHANGE.— The Secretary shall be responsible for— (1) providing the central authorities of other Convention countries with information concerning— (A) accredited agencies and approved persons, agencies and persons whose accreditation or approval has been suspended or canceled, and agencies and persons who have been temporarily or permanently debarred from accreditation or approval; (B) Federal and State laws relevant to implementing the Convention; and (C) any other matters necessary and appropriate for implementation of the Convention; (2) not later than the date of the entry into force of the Convention for the United States (pursuant to Article 46(2)(a) of the Convention) and at least once during each subsequent calendar year, providing to the central authority of all other Convention countries a notice requesting the central authority of each such country to specify any requirements of such country regarding adoption, including restrictions on the eligibility of persons to adopt, with respect to which information on the prospective adoptive parent or parents in the United States would be relevant; (3) making responses to notices under paragraph (2) available to— (A) accredited agencies and approved persons; and (B) other persons or entities performing home studies under section 201(b)(1); (4) ensuring the provision of a background report (home study) on prospective adoptive parent or parents (pursuant to the requirements of section 203(b)(l)(A)(ii)), through the central authority of each child's country of origin, to the court having jurisdiction over the adoption (or, in the case of a child emigrating to the United States for the purpose of adoption, to the competent authority in the child's country of origin

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