H.R. 3941: Bring Our Children Home Act

108th Congress · introduced 2004-03-11 · Families · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2004-03-11 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Lampson, Nick [D-TX-9] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Bring Our Children Home Act

Plain summary

Bring Our Children Home Act - Amends the Federal judicial code to provide that a contestant may bring an action in U.S. district court to resolve conflicting child custody determinations. Directs the Attorney General to establish a registry of child custody and visitation orders and proceedings. Authorizes State and local law enforcement officers to hold any child listed as missing for a proper custody disposition. Amends the International Child Abduction Remedies Act to require the U.S. Central Authority under the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction to establish a funding program for the provision of legal services to persons seeking remedies in interstate or international parental kidnapping cases. Authorizes the Legal Services Corporation to provide Convention-related legal assistance to qualified aliens. Requires the Central Authority to encourage the designation of courts to hear Convention-related cases. Amends the Federal judicial code to require the Federal Judicial Center to include in its continuing education programs information on the Convention and related laws. Requires various reports relating to international child abduction. Requires the Attorney General to support, through specified activities, the adoption and implementation in the States of the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act. Amends the Violence Against Women Act of 2000 to expand the Safe Havens for Children Pilot Program to include children at risk of parental kidnapping. Amends the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to authorize the disclosure of taxpayer identity information to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Bring Our Children Home Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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The strongest published arguments

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Lampson, Nick [D-TX-9] · 106 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Rosa L. DeLauro (D-CT), Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Brad Sherman (D-CA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Linda T. Sánchez (D-CA), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), James P. McGovern (D-MA), John B. Larson (D-CT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and 46 more.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (2)

Authorization: A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.
Jurisdiction: The area or the matters a government or court has authority over.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-108hr3941.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/108/hr>

Record fed-us-cong108-hr3941 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong108 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong108