I emailed the US Embassy in Kyiv on Friday. I asked if they knew if Bill 2562 was law. Had the Ukrainian President signed the bill yet?

Turns out they still don't know either. But at least they were prompt in replying.

And don't you love the "elderly foreign citizens" phrase? The older that I become, the less that I appreciate the "elderly" label.

From: "Kyiv, Adoptions" KyivAdoptions@state.gov
Sent: Monday, June 4, 2007 6:44:12 AM
Subject: RE: Single Adoption and Older Parents - Adoption Law Changes

Although, the Ukrainian Parliament has already passed the bill instituting restrictions on international adoptions, this bill has to be signed by the President of Ukraine to become law. It is presently not known when the President of Ukraine will sign this bill. Dossiers from single and elderly foreign citizens are still being accepted by the SDA. The bill will become law, and come into full effect as soon as the President signs it, and it is published in the official newspaper of the Ukrainian Parliament. It is our understanding, that when the law comes into effect, it will have immediate impact on the target group of adoptive parents, and their adoption process will be stopped/ effected regardless of its stage.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any additional questions.
Sincerely,
Adoption Unit/Immigrant Visa Section
Consular Section
American Embassy
Kyiv, Ukraine
Tel: 38-044-4904422
Fax: 38-044-490-4570
Kyivadoptions@state.gov
http://kyiv.usembassy.gov/amcit_adoptions_eng.html
In accordance with E.O. 12958 this message is not classified.

In order to become law this bill must be signed by the Ukrainian President. Then it must be published in Rada's (Parliament) newspaper. If Rada is dissolved or dismissed before this happens then the bill is dead.

Rada would have to start over in the next parliamentary session. And this would be after the September 30 elections.

I thought that the current Rada meetings were only valid until June 1. So we are back to the uncertainty of... Is this a current session of parliament or a rogue parliament? And has the President signed the bill?

June 1, 2007

Although the legislation [for parliamentary elections] was finally adopted about an hour before the deadline set by Yushchenko, uncertainty remained about how long the current parliament would exist.

A Yanukovych ally, Oleksandr Peklushenko, said the legislature would continue to work. But the parliament would be dissolved if 151 of its 450 members resign, and Yushchenko backers say 168 deputies are ready to do that.

From: New laws are approved in Ukraine to end crisis

So here is the recap.

• Hope the President hasn't signed the bill.



• If the President has signed the bill, hope that Rada didn't published it on June 1



• Hope that the current Rada is invalid and if they publish the bill on June 4, it isn't legally binding.