News You Can Use: Legislation Impacting Adoption

Untitled design

There is new legislation that impacts adoption, including allowing penalty-free retirement account withdrawals for adoption; there is also a new provision granting paid family leave for federal workers after an adoption.

The recent spending bill, the Appropriations Act, provides for some adoption-related matters: 

  • Provision that funding for embryo adoption activities can go toward medical and administrative services for such adoptions.  See page 103.
  • Adoption reimbursement to a covered veteran under Dept. of Veteran Affairs’ “Medical Services”.  See page 658.
  • Penalty-free withdrawals from retirement plans for individuals in case of birth or adoption. See page 1578 and following.

Additionally, the recent National Defense Authorization Act for 2020:

  • Allows military families to take leave for a birth or adoption in more than one increment (see Sec. 571)
  • Allows federal employees to have 12 weeks of paid family leave for birth, adoption, or foster care placement after October 1, 2020 (see Sec. 1123)

Click to view the federal announcement here: https://www.chcoc.gov/content/paid-parental-leave-federal-employees

To find out more contact us at

212-400-8150 or email us at info@spence-chapin.org.