25 U.S.C. § 1916
Return of custody
United States · Title 25 — INDIANS · Status: effective
Cite this
- Citation
- 25 U.S.C. § 1916, Return of custody, United States, version 1 as recorded 2026-07-09, yourstate.us, https://yourstate.us/provision/461348
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Full text
Notwithstanding State law to the contrary, whenever a final decree of adoption of an Indian child has been vacated or set aside or the adoptive parents voluntarily consent to the termination of their parental rights to the child, a biological parent or prior Indian custodian may petition for return of custody and the court shall grant such petition unless there is a showing, in a proceeding subject to the provisions of section 1912 of this title, that such return of custody is not in the best interests of the child.
Whenever an Indian child is removed from a foster care home or institution for the purpose of further foster care, preadoptive, or adoptive placement, such placement shall be in accordance with the provisions of this chapter, except in the case where an Indian child is being returned to the parent or Indian custodian from whose custody the child was originally removed.
Legislative history
The public laws that enacted or amended this section. Tallies are for the whole bill as it passed each chamber — often an omnibus covering far more than this provision — not a vote on this section alone.
- Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978House: no recorded tallySenate: no recorded tally