republic-os/legal/us/code/title-34/chapter-203/section-20331.md

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LegalText	34 U.S.C. § 20331	Findings and purpose	us	united_states_code	code_section	34	CRIME CONTROL AND LAW ENFORCEMENT	203	VICTIMS OF CHILD ABUSE	20331	34 U.S.C. § 20331	current	119-100	2026-06-26	official	https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc34@119-100.zip	/us/usc/t34/s20331	data/legal/raw/us/code/title-34/usc34.xml	b4214614964bd7417f7d7e7d27616b0135f13cc9cbd995da3652ba83133b8b42	7528207b20373f75fea96478ab5313727f47852e5364ee8c5ea18909f66a9da3	0677ce2f001a403bace8a43e11febedd2baeb2644034fbad4ac2d959b0b04a49	2026-07-04	official	legal us-code

34 U.S.C. § 20331 - Findings and purpose

Text

(a) Findings The Congress finds that—

(1) a large number of juvenile and family courts are inundated with increasing numbers of cases due to increased reports of abuse and neglect, increasing drug-related maltreatment, and insufficient court resources;

(2) the amendments made to the Social Security Act [42 U.S.C. 301 et seq.] by the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980 make substantial demands on the courts handling abuse and neglect cases, but provide no assistance to the courts to meet those demands;

(3) the Adoption 11 So in original. Probably should be “Adoption Assistance”. and Child Welfare Act of 1980 requires courts to—

(A) determine whether the agency made reasonable efforts to prevent foster care placement;

(B) approve voluntary nonjudicial placement; and

(C) provide procedural safeguards for parents when their parent-child relationship is affected;

(4) social welfare agencies press the courts to meet such requirements, yet scarce resources often dictate that courts comply pro forma without undertaking the meaningful judicial inquiry contemplated by Congress in the Adoption 1 and Child Welfare Act of 1980;

(5) compliance with the Adoption 1 and Child Welfare Act of 1980 and overall improvements in the judicial response to abuse and neglect cases can best come about through action by top level court administrators and judges with administrative functions who understand the unique aspects of decisions required in child abuse and neglect cases; and

(6) the Adoption 1 and Child Welfare Act of 1980 provides financial incentives to train welfare agency staff to meet the requirements, but provides no resources to train judges.

(b) Purpose The purpose of this subchapter is to provide expanded technical assistance and training to judicial personnel and attorneys, particularly personnel and practitioners in juvenile and family courts, to improve the judicial system’s handling of child abuse and neglect cases with specific emphasis on the role of the courts in addressing reasonable efforts that can safely avoid unnecessary and unnecessarily prolonged foster care placement.

(Pub. L. 101–647, title II, § 221, Nov. 29, 1990, 104 Stat. 4796; Pub. L. 103–322, title IV, § 40156(b)(2), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 1923.)

Notes

Editorial Notes

References in TextThe Social Security Act, referred to in subsec. (a)(2), is act Aug. 14, 1935, ch. 531, 49 Stat. 620, which is classified generally to chapter 7 (§ 301 et seq.) of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see section 1305 of Title 42 and Tables. The Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980, referred to in subsec. (a), is Pub. L. 96–272, June 17, 1980, 94 Stat. 500. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title of 1980 Amendments note set out under section 1305 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, and Tables.

Codification Section was formerly classified to section 13021 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section.

Amendments1994—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 103–322 made technical amendment to reference to this subchapter to correct reference to corresponding provision of original act.