The ADOPT Act of 2025 makes it a federal crime for unlicensed people or organizations to act as middlemen in private domestic adoptions. Right now, anyone can advertise adoption services, connect birth parents with adoptive families, or offer to pay for a birth parent's expenses—even without any training or oversight. This bill cracks down on that by making it illegal for unlicensed intermediaries to do these things.

The law specifically targets three problematic practices: running adoption ads to find birth parents or adoptive families, acting as a go-between to connect them, and offering money or services (like paying medical bills) to birth parents before they've consulted with a licensed adoption agency or lawyer. The bill allows up to $2,500 in expenses before someone must involve a licensed professional, but anything beyond that triggers the law. People who break these rules face up to 5 years in prison and $50,000 fines; organizations face $100,000 fines.

The law has important exceptions—it doesn't apply to licensed adoption agencies, government child welfare agencies, nonprofit organizations working under contract with government agencies, licensed attorneys, or international adoption providers. The bill aims to protect families from being exploited by unlicensed operators and prevent children from being treated like commodities in a largely unregulated market. It takes effect 120 days after being signed into law.