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8 LONG TITLE
9 General Description:
10 This concurrent resolution encourages United States Congress and the President of the
11 United States to support the Adoptee Citizenship Act of 2021, H.R. 1593/S. 967
12 (Adoptee Citizenship Act), and any other similar congressional efforts, and encourages
13 certain state agencies to support adopted children in accessing adoption resources.
14 Highlighted Provisions:
15 This resolution:
16 ▸ describes the value of international adoption;
17 ▸ outlines the technical oversight included in the Child Citizenship Act of 2000, 8
18 U.S.C. § 1431 (Child Citizenship Act), that excluded legally adopted
19 internationally-born individuals from receiving automatic United States citizenship;
20 ▸ addresses the challenges that internationally-adopted children who are excluded
21 from United States citizenship face under current law;
22 ▸ describes the mental health needs of adopted children;
23 ▸ describes the Adoptee Citizenship Act and the need for the Adoptee Citizenship Act
24 to address the technical oversight in the Child Citizenship Act; and
25 ▸ encourages:
26 • Utah's health and education systems to support adopted children in accessing
27 adoption resources; and
28 • United States Congress and the President of the United States to support the
29 Adoptee Citizenship Act and other similar congressional efforts.
30 Special Clauses:
31 None
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33 Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah, the Governor concurring therein:
34 WHEREAS, the state of Utah has a long history of welcoming children through
35 international adoption;
36 WHEREAS, all Utahns benefit from the removal of barriers to citizenship attained
37 through international adoption;
38 WHEREAS, the Child Citizenship Act aimed to provide automatic United States
39 citizenship to all internationally-born children of United States citizens, subject to certain
40 requirements;
41 WHEREAS, the Child Citizenship Act contained a technical oversight that prevents
42 internationally-born individuals who were adopted by United States citizens as children but
43 were over 18 years old at the time the Child Citizenship Act passed from receiving United
44 States citizenship under the Child Citizenship Act;
45 WHEREAS, as a result of the technical oversight in the Child Citizenship Act, an
46 estimated tens of thousands of legally adopted internationally-born individuals born before
47 February 27, 1983, remain without citizenship and potentially subject to deportation despite
48 being adopted and raised by United States citizens;
49 WHEREAS, the technical oversight in the Child Citizenship Act has caused dozens of
50 known deportations of legally adopted internationally-born individuals, breaking up families
51 and resulting in the return of the individuals to countries to which the individuals do not have
52 any cultural or social ties;
53 WHEREAS, United States' legal international adoptees have been deported to countries
54 such as Argentina, Brazil, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Germany, El Salvador, India, Ireland,
55 Haiti, Iran, Japan, Mexico, Panama, Philippines, Russia, St. Kitts, Taiwan, Ukraine, and
56 Vietnam;
57 WHEREAS, legally adopted internationally-born individuals who are unable to obtain
58 citizenship face numerous challenges, including challenges in accessing banking services,
59 voting, applying for a passport or driver license, receiving social security or disability benefits,
60 obtaining financial aid for postsecondary education, and joining the armed forces;
61 WHEREAS, legally adopted internationally-born individuals are often English
62 language learners and face significant challenges throughout education systems;
63 WHEREAS, numerous studies have shown that adoptee populations are
64 overrepresented in mental health counseling needs, experience increased risk of substance use
65 disorders, and are uniquely impacted by various other mental health disorders that can stem
66 from high levels of childhood stress;
67 WHEREAS, the Adoptee Citizenship Act corrects the technical oversight in the Child
68 Citizenship Act and grants United States citizenship to legally adopted internationally-born
69 individuals who were excluded under the technical oversight because the individuals were
70 older than 18 years old at the time the Child Citizenship Act passed;
71 WHEREAS, passage of the Adoptee Citizenship Act will result in the naturalization of
72 legally adopted internationally-born adults who were brought as children to the United States
73 under the promise of finding a permanent home and with the expectation of citizenship that
74 matched the adults' adopted parents;
75 WHEREAS, the Adoptee Citizenship Act has seen bipartisan support in United States
76 Congress and has widespread praise among the nation's leading adoption advocacy
77 organizations:
78 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah, the
79 Governor concurring therein, encourages United States Congress and the President of the
80 United States to support the Adoptee Citizenship Act and any other current or future
81 congressional efforts intended to address issues similar to those the Adoptee Citizenship Act
82 seeks to remedy.
83 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and the Governor encourage Utah's
84 health and education systems to screen for the developmental needs of all adopted children and
85 assist Utah families with accessing available resources for adopted children.
86 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be sent to Utah's
87 congressional delegation, the speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the
88 majority leader of the United States Senate, the chairs and ranking members of the United
89 States Senate and House of Representatives Judiciary Committees, and the President of the
90 United States.