Senator Jani Iwamoto proposes the following substitute bill:


1     
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ENCOURAGING SUPPORT FOR

2     
INTERNATIONALLY ADOPTED INDIVIDUALS

3     
2022 GENERAL SESSION

4     
STATE OF UTAH

5     
Chief Sponsor: Jani Iwamoto

6     
House Sponsor: Robert M. Spendlove

7     Cosponsors:
8     Jacob L. Anderegg
9     Gene Davis
Luz Escamilla
Lincoln Fillmore
Derek L. Kitchen
Kathleen A. Riebe
Todd D. Weiler
Ronald M. Winterton
10     

11     LONG TITLE
12     General Description:
13          This concurrent resolution encourages United States Congress and the President of the
14     United States to support congressional efforts related to legally adopted internationally
15     born individuals and encourages certain state agencies to support adopted children in
16     accessing adoption resources.
17     Highlighted Provisions:
18          This resolution:
19          ▸     describes the value of international adoption;
20          ▸     outlines the technical oversight in federal law that excluded legally adopted
21     internationally-born individuals from receiving automatic United States citizenship;
22          ▸     addresses the challenges that internationally-adopted children who are excluded
23     from United States citizenship face under current law;

24          ▸     describes the mental health needs of adopted children;
25          ▸     describes the need for federal legislation to address the technical oversight in federal
26     law; and
27          ▸     encourages:
28               •     Utah's health and education systems to support adopted children in accessing
29     adoption resources; and
30               •     United States Congress and the President of the United States to support
31     congressional efforts to address the technical oversight in federal law.
32     Special Clauses:
33          None
34     

35     Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah, the Governor concurring therein:
36          WHEREAS, the state of Utah has a long history of welcoming children through
37     international adoption;
38          WHEREAS, all Utahns benefit from the removal of barriers to citizenship attained
39     through international adoption;
40          WHEREAS, in 2000, federal legislation aimed to provide automatic United States
41     citizenship to all internationally-born children of United States citizens, subject to certain
42     requirements;
43          WHEREAS, the federal legislation contained a technical oversight that prevents
44     internationally-born individuals who were adopted by United States citizens as children but
45     were over 18 years old at the time the federal legislation passed from receiving United States
46     citizenship under the federal legislation;
47          WHEREAS, as a result of the technical oversight, an estimated tens of thousands of
48     legally adopted internationally-born individuals born before February 27, 1983, remain without
49     citizenship and potentially subject to deportation despite being adopted and raised by United
50     States citizens;
51          WHEREAS, the technical oversight has caused dozens of known deportations of legally
52     adopted internationally-born individuals, breaking up families and resulting in the return of the
53     individuals to countries to which the individuals do not have any cultural or social ties;
54          WHEREAS, United States' legal international adoptees have been deported to countries

55     such as Argentina, Brazil, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Germany, El Salvador, India, Ireland,
56     Haiti, Iran, Japan, Mexico, Panama, Philippines, Russia, South Korea, St. Kitts, Taiwan,
57     Ukraine, and Vietnam;
58          WHEREAS, legally adopted internationally-born individuals who are unable to obtain
59     citizenship face numerous challenges, including challenges in accessing banking services,
60     voting, applying for a passport or driver license, receiving social security or disability benefits,
61     obtaining financial aid for postsecondary education, and joining the armed forces;
62          WHEREAS, legally adopted internationally-born individuals are often English
63     language learners and face significant challenges throughout education systems;
64          WHEREAS, numerous studies have shown that adoptee populations are
65     overrepresented in mental health counseling needs, experience increased risk of substance use
66     disorders, and are uniquely impacted by various other mental health disorders that can stem
67     from high levels of childhood stress;
68          WHEREAS, congressional efforts have been made to correct the technical oversight
69     and grant United States citizenship to legally adopted internationally-born individuals who
70     were excluded under the technical oversight because the individuals were older than 18 years
71     old at the time the federal legislation passed;
72          WHEREAS, passage of federal legislation to address the technical oversight will result
73     in the naturalization of legally adopted internationally-born adults who were brought as
74     children to the United States under the promise of finding a permanent home and with the
75     expectation of citizenship that matched the adults' adopted parents;
76          WHEREAS, congressional efforts to correct the technical oversight have seen
77     bipartisan support in United States Congress and have widespread praise among the nation's
78     leading adoption advocacy organizations:
79          NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah, the
80     Governor concurring therein, encourages United States Congress and the President of the
81     United States to support any current or future congressional efforts intended to address the
82     technical oversight in the federal legislation passed in 2000.
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.