S. 2509: Sean and David Goldman International Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act of 2014

113th Congress · introduced 2014-06-19 · International Affairs · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

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Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2014-06-19 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Menendez, Robert [D-NJ] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. 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

Sean and David Goldman International Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act of 2014

Plain summary

Sean and David Goldman International Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act of 2014 - Expresses the sense of Congress that the United States should set a strong example for other Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction (Convention) countries in the resolution of cases involving children abducted abroad and brought to the United States. Directs the Secretary of State to submit to Congress an Annual Report on International Child Abduction. Directs the Secretary to: (1) ensure that U.S. diplomatic and consular missions maintain a consistent reporting standard for abduction or access cases, designate at least one official in each mission to assist visiting U.S. parents resolve such cases, and monitor abduction cases; and (2) implement strategic plans for engagement with any Convention or non-Convention country in which there are five or more cases of international child abduction. Directs the Secretary to enter into bilateral procedures, including memoranda of understanding, with non-Convention countries that are unlikely to become Convention countries in the foreseeable future, or with Convention countries that have unresolved abduction cases that occurred before the Convention entered into force with respect to the United States or that country. Directs the Secretary to notify the Member of Congress and Senators representing the legal residence of a left-behind parent when that parent reports an abduction to the Central Authority of the United States unless the left-behind parent does not consent to such notification. Directs the President, upon a determination that the government of a foreign country has failed to resolve an abduction or access case or has engaged in a pattern of noncooperation, to take one or more specified actions to promote resolution or cooperation. Amends the the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS), through U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), to establish a program that: (1) prevents a child from leaving U.S. territory if the child's parent or legal guardian presents a court order to a CBP officer in time to prevent such departure, and (2) leverages other existing authorities to address the wrongful removal and return of a child. Directs the Secretary to: convene and chair an interagency working group to prevent international parental child abduction, and provide training on the handling of parental abduction cases to the judicial and administrative authorities in countries that have a significant number of unresolved abduction cases or that have been designated as having a pattern of noncompliance.

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

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What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Sean and David Goldman International Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act of 2014

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Menendez, Robert [D-NJ] · 2 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Edward J. Markey (D-MA)

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)

Resolution: A formal statement or decision by a legislative body. Simple resolutions often only express an opinion or set rules for one chamber; they do not become law.
Securities: Financial investments that can be bought and sold, such as stocks and bonds.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-113s2509.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/113/s>

Record fed-us-cong113-s2509 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong113 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong113