“The Goldman Act at Five Years,” is the title of a congressional hearing of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission to be chaired Thursday by U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04). Smith authored The Sean and David Goldman Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act (P.L. 113-150), which was passed by Congress exactly five years ago and nearly 10 years after Smith’s constituent, David Goldman of New Jersey, was reunited with his son Sean after a five-year parental abduction to Brazil.

  “This hearing will take a close look at the State Department’s 2019 Annual Report on International Child Abduction to determine whether it's making progress in implementing the Goldman Act and resolving international parental child abduction cases," said Smith, who with Rep. Jim McGovern co-chairs the commission. Smith is also Ranking Member of the Global Human Rights Subcommittee where he held many hearings on international child abductions. “Sean and David were reunited, but many ‘left behind’ parents remain devastated beyond words, broken hearted as they fight to see their children again.”

  Over the last decade more than 11,400 American children were abducted internationally by a parent. The State Department estimates only one-third of the children abducted since 2015 have been returned to the United States within two years.

  About the hearing:

WHAT:            Congressional hearing of the Lantos Commission

WHO:              Smith, members of the commission, and witnesses:

•   Carl C. Risch, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Consular Affairs, U.S. Department of State
•   Patricia Apy, International Family Law Attorney, Paras, Apy and Reiss
•   Ruchika Abbi, Mother of a Child Abducted to India

WHEN:           Thursday, July 25 at 2 p.m.

WHERE:        Room 2255 in the Rayburn House Office Building (second floor).

  The hearing will be livestreamed at https://humanrightscommission.house.gov/news/watch-live.

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