Lee Bill Fixes Loophole for Adoptees of American Families

Lee Bill Fixes Loophole for Adoptive Families August 3, 2026 WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) introduced legislation with Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) closing burdensome loopholes for America’s adoptive families. The bill updates adoptee citizenship protocols in alignment with established law to grant citizenship for adopted children of American parents. “Established law provides America’s adopted kids with naturalization, but a loophole has excluded those who were over 18 when this policy was passed decades ago. This bill will fix this oversight to bring these adopted Americans into accordance with the law and close the loopholes afflicting established families,” said Senator Mike Lee. “Adoption is a wonderful thing. It gives children a loving family, opportunity, and hope for a better life. It often saves unborn lives. If you are adopted by American parents, grow up American, and love America, you are American. However, the law is not currently written to reflect that reality,” said Senator Rick Scott. “Adopted children of American parents should also be Americans, and there should be no legal hurdles to getting there. I’m proud to join Senator Lee in his effort to correct this issue.” The legislation is endorsed by eighteen organizations and individuals: Adoptee Advisory Committee, Adoptees for Children, Adoptees Supporting Adoptee Citizenship, Adoptive Parents for Citizenship, Advisory Committee for Intercounty Adoption, American Academy of Adoptions Attorneys (AAAA), Barker Foundation, Care for Children International, China Children Adoption International (CCAI), Dr. Ron Federici, Holt International, Hope Leads Home, Diane Kunz, Lifeline Children’s Services, National Center for Adoption Law & Policy, National Council for Adoption (NCFA), Pono Roots, and Mission to Promote Adoption in Korea (MPAK). "Holt International applauds Senator Lee for his leadership and determination to move adoptee citizenship legislation forward. His commitment to finding a path that can make meaningful progress in Congress is an important step for thousands of intercountry adoptees who have lived for years without the security and recognition of U.S. citizenship.” — Mark Loux, Interim President & CEO, Holt International "This legislation would correct a longstanding inequity. It reflects the fundamental principle that children legally adopted by American citizens should enjoy the same security and legal status as other members of their families. Providing citizenship to these adoptees promotes family stability, recognizes the commitments made by adoptive families, and remedies an unintended consequence of earlier legislation and regulations. It is both a matter of fairness and an affirmation of America's longstanding support for permanent family placement for children in need. We are grateful that you have introduced this legislation and look forward to working toward its prompt enactment." – Janna Annest, President, and Genie Miller Gillespie, Adoption Policy Director, American Academy of Adoption & Assisted Reproduction Attorneys (AAAA) "I'm grateful for Senator Lee's leadership in introducing this important legislation. For decades, international adoptees have played an invaluable part in the flourishing of our communities. Thousands of American parents have welcomed them into their families, and provided safe, loving and permanent homes for the world's most vulnerable children. This bill provides a legal remedy for the sons and daughters of U.S. citizens who were left in the gap of legal uncertainty." – Herbert M. Newell IV, President & Executive Director, Lifeline Children’s Services Background Congress granted naturalization to international adoptees of U.S. citizen parents through the Child Citizenship Act of 2000 , but thousands of legally adopted children were left out due to an arbitrary age cutoff. This technicality has resulted in continuous legal issues for a group whose only disqualifying characteristic was their date of birth. Senator Lee’s bill corrects this loophole for America’s adoptive families by providing naturalization to those adopted by U.S. citizens decades ago. The bill grants automatic citizenship to individuals who were legally adopted by U.S. parents but were over 18 when the Child Citizenship Act of 2000 took effect. Specifically, the bill instructs the Secretary of Homeland Security to issue a certificate of citizenship if adoptees establish through an application that their adoption was lawfully completed, that they resided in the legal physical custody of their U.S. citizen adoptive parents, that they have not committed serious criminal offenses, and that they meet other standard criteria under the INA. Read the full bill text here . Read the full letter of endorsement from AAAA here . ###