do you know where your congressman is?
As it turns out, Vic Snyder, our Representative from the great state of Arkansas, has co-sponsored a bill that would make international adoption just a little easier. I knew I liked him.
In an extremely tiny nutshell, House Bill HR628, also known as the "Helping Families Adopt Orphans Act", will extend the approval span of the I-171 from 18 months to 2 years. Sure, six months may not sound like much, but it's a pretty big deal. Due to the the fact that international adoptions are taking longer and longer to complete, many families are having to re-file their I-171 forms due to expiration. That means even more money is sent to the US govt for paperwork processing. Hooray for needless spending! Note the sarcasm there. Don't get me wrong, I know that services cost money and that said services are performed by real people who are paid real dollars in return for their efforts. I'm fine with that. I am not in favor of paying the same fees to re-issue a document that I paid to have it issued initially. Not when all of the work has already been done... that's just silly.
Clearly I got a little off track. The point is this:
This bill is a good thing. Not only will it allow the necessary forms to have a longer shelf life, but it will do so without additional fees. That's a pretty sweet deal.
So, I urge you to find out who your representative is. Click here to read a summary of the bill and to contact your congressman. Urge them to vote yes when the option arises.
In an extremely tiny nutshell, House Bill HR628, also known as the "Helping Families Adopt Orphans Act", will extend the approval span of the I-171 from 18 months to 2 years. Sure, six months may not sound like much, but it's a pretty big deal. Due to the the fact that international adoptions are taking longer and longer to complete, many families are having to re-file their I-171 forms due to expiration. That means even more money is sent to the US govt for paperwork processing. Hooray for needless spending! Note the sarcasm there. Don't get me wrong, I know that services cost money and that said services are performed by real people who are paid real dollars in return for their efforts. I'm fine with that. I am not in favor of paying the same fees to re-issue a document that I paid to have it issued initially. Not when all of the work has already been done... that's just silly.
Clearly I got a little off track. The point is this:
This bill is a good thing. Not only will it allow the necessary forms to have a longer shelf life, but it will do so without additional fees. That's a pretty sweet deal.
So, I urge you to find out who your representative is. Click here to read a summary of the bill and to contact your congressman. Urge them to vote yes when the option arises.
