Referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. (text: CR S2097)
This resolution is a formal, nonbinding statement by the Senate that designates April 2025 as "Countering International Parental Child Abduction Month," recognizes the harms caused by international parental child abduction, and urges continued awareness and use of existing government tools to prevent and resolve abductions. It does not create new law or require executive action. It expresses the Senate's views and encourages federal agencies and the public to take steps to raise awareness and support efforts to locate and return abducted children.
A simple Senate resolution is adopted by the Senate alone, is not presented to the President, and has no force of law; it expresses the chamber's views and is nonbinding.
This Senate resolution designates April 1–30, 2025, as “Countering International Parental Child Abduction Month,” calls for raising awareness of international parental child abduction harms, cites statistics and relevant laws, urges use of existing tools (including the Hague Convention and the Sean and David Goldman Act), and encourages the State Department to pursue bilateral agreements and other measures to prevent and resolve abduction cases.
As a simple Senate resolution it is non‑binding and does not create law; symbolic measures routinely pass the originating chamber but do not become law.
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a well-constructed symbolic resolution: it clearly defines the problem, cites relevant laws and prior actions, and appropriately limits itself to recognizing an awareness month and urging continued executive attention. The resolution does not create obligations, appropriate for a commemorative instrument.
Symbolic value vs. demand for concrete funding and metrics
These are examples from the analysis, not a ranked list of the most-affected groups.
Symbolic value vs. demand for concrete funding and metrics
Generally supportive, viewing the resolution as a needed acknowledgment of harm to children and families and a call for stronger prevention and return efforts.
Will stress funding for victim services, equity for multicultural families, and safeguards for due process in custody disputes.
Supportive but pragmatic: views the resolution as a useful, nonbinding statement that highlights a transnational problem.
Wants measurable follow-through, cost estimates, and targeted diplomacy rather than grandstanding.
Generally favorable because it emphasizes law enforcement, criminalization of parental kidnapping, and protecting children.
Will emphasize strict enforcement, using existing statutes, and preventing diplomatic overreach or unfunded federal expansions.
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Still ahead
Still ahead
Still ahead
As a simple Senate resolution it is non‑binding and does not create law; symbolic measures routinely pass the originating chamber but do not become law.
The bill has not accumulated any surfaced votes yet.
Symbolic value vs. demand for concrete funding and metrics
As a simple Senate resolution it is non‑binding and does not create law; symbolic measures routinely pass the originating chamber but do no…
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a well-constructed symbolic resolution: it clearly defines the problem, cites relevant laws and prior actions, and appropriately limits itself to recognizing an aw…
Go beyond the headline summary with full stakeholder mapping, legislative design analysis, passage barriers, and lens-by-lens tradeoff breakdowns.