42 U.S.C. § 628d — Effective implementation of the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978

(a) General rule. By October 1, 2025, the Secretary, consulting Indian tribal organizations and States, must develop a plan and provide technical assistance for effective implementation of the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978, including State-plan measures required by section 622(b)(9). The plan must use enough data to assess State strengths and improvement areas and must cover: (1) timely identification of Indian children and extended family; (2) timely tribal notice of State custody proceedings involving an Indian child; (3) reports on granted or denied transfers of jurisdiction and reasons for denial; (4) in foster-care orders, whether active efforts, qualified-expert testimony, and evidence standards were met; (5) whether the child received a placement preferred by the Act and, if not, the stated reasons; and (6) in termination-of-parental-rights orders, whether active efforts, qualified-expert testimony, and evidence standards were met. (b) Coordination. At the Secretary’s request, the Secretary of the Interior must provide guidance and assistance to help States and public child-welfare agencies comply with the Act, including the specified State-plan measures. (c) Reports. Every two years, the Secretary must give the House Ways and Means Committee and Senate Finance Committee a written report on (1) State compliance, based on data collected under this section, and (2) the Secretary’s assistance to States and tribes in improving implementation of the Act’s Federal standards.