6 USC 241 – Prevention of international child abduction
(a) Program established
The Secretary, through the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (referred to in this section as “CBP”), in coordination with the Secretary of State, the Attorney General, and the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, shall establish a program that—
(1) seeks to prevent a child (as defined in section 1204(b)(1) of title 18) from departing from the territory of the United States if a parent or legal guardian of such child presents a court order from a court of competent jurisdiction prohibiting the removal of such child from the United States to a CBP Officer in sufficient time to prevent such departure for the duration of such court order; and
(2) leverages other existing authorities and processes to address the wrongful removal and return of a child.
(b) Interagency coordination
(1) In general
The Secretary of State shall convene and chair an interagency working group to prevent international parental child abduction. The group shall be composed of presidentially appointed, Senate confirmed officials from—
(A) the Department of State;
(B) the Department of Homeland Security, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; and
(C) the Department of Justice, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
(2) Department of Defense
The Secretary of Defense shall designate an official within the Department of Defense—
(A) to coordinate with the Department of State on international child abduction issues; and
(B) to oversee activities designed to prevent or resolve international child abduction cases relating to active duty military service members.
Terms Used In 6 USC 241
- Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- officer: includes any person authorized by law to perform the duties of the office. See 1 USC 1
- State: means a State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or any other territory or possession of the United States. See 1 USC 7