International Child Abduction Act. Hearing before the Subcommittee on Administrative Law and Governmental Relations of the Committee on the Judiciary. House of Representatives, One Hundredth Congress, Second Session on H.R. 2673 and H.R. 3971.

Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Congressional Sales Office, Washington, DC 20402.

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Child Custody; Federal Legislation; Hearings; International Crimes; International Law; Parent Child Relationship

This document contains witnesses' testimonies and prepared statements from the Congressional hearing called to consider enactment of H.R. 2673, a bill to facilitate implementation of the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. The text of H.R. 2673 is included in the document as is the text of H.R. 3971, a bill to establish procedures to implement the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. Opening statements are included from Representatives Barney Frank and E. Claw Shaw. Testimony is given by Representative Tom Lantos in support of his legislation, H.R. 2673. Lantos cites statistics on child abduction, describes the Hague Convention's plan to establish a system of administrative and legal procedures designed to ensure the prompt return of abducted children, and notes that the Hague Convention has been ratified by such countries as the United Kingdom, France, Portugal, Switzerland, Hungary, and Canada. Other witnesses providing testimony include: (1) Peter Pfund, United States Department of State; (2) Stephen Markman, United States Department of Justice; (3) Patricia Hoff and Philip Schwartz, Family Law Section, American Bar Association; (4) David Lloyd, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children; and (5) Holly Planells, the mother of a child abducted to Jordan by his father, and president of American Children Held Hostage. Supplemental materials are included. (NB)

1989

ED303700