Doug Ose: “I rise today to make note of a particular issue. On October 25, 1980, The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of…”

“I rise today to make note of a particular issue. On October 25, 1980, The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction established reciprocal rights and duty to expedite the return of children to their state of habitual residence, as well as ensure that rights of custody and of access under the laws of one contracting State are respected in other contracting States. Subsequent to this convention, over 50 countries have become signatory members. Yet, egregious cases abound. A critical step to protecting our American children is making sure that U.S. Federal and State courts are aware of international parental abduction issues and The Hague Convention. Current law requires that the State Department prepare an annual report on the status of this Hague Convention. Unfortunately, the State Department has been reluctant to distribute their report to our courts. By providing State and Federal courts access to this document, judges will be better equipped to render decisions in custody cases that are in the best interest of the child.”