International Prevention of Child Marriage Act of 2010 - Directs the President, through the Secretary of State, to establish a multi-year strategy to prevent child marriage in developing countries and to promote the empowerment of girls at risk of child marriage.
Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to require that Department of State country reports on human rights practices include a description of the status of child marriage for countries with specified rates of child marriage.
Defines "child marriage" as the marriage of a girl or boy not yet the minimum age for marriage stipulated in law in the country in which the girl or boy is a resident, or where there is no such law, under the age of 18.
[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6521 Introduced in House (IH)]
111th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 6521
To protect girls in developing countries through the prevention of
child marriage, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
December 14, 2010
Ms. Ros-Lehtinen (for herself, Mr. Burton of Indiana, Mr. Rohrabacher,
Mr. Manzullo, Mr. Royce, Mr. Wilson of South Carolina, Mr. Mack, Mr.
Poe of Texas, Mr. Inglis, Mr. Bilirakis, and Mr. Gallegly) introduced
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign
Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To protect girls in developing countries through the prevention of
child marriage, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``International Prevention of Child
Marriage Act of 2010''.
SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) child marriage is a violation of human rights and the
prevention and elimination of child marriage should be a
foreign policy goal of the United States;
(2) the practice of child marriage undermines United States
investments in foreign assistance to promote education and
skills building for girls, reduce maternal and child mortality,
reduce maternal illness, halt the transmission of HIV/AIDS,
prevent gender-based violence, and reduce poverty; and
(3) educational opportunities for girls, economic
opportunities for women, and reducing maternal and child
mortality are critical to achieving the global health and
development objectives of the United States, including efforts
to prevent HIV/AIDS.
SEC. 3. PREVENTION OF CHILD MARRIAGE IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES.
(a) Strategy Required.--The President, acting through the Secretary
of State, shall establish a multi-year strategy to prevent child
marriage in developing countries and to promote the empowerment of
girls at risk of child marriage in developing countries.
(b) Consultation.--In carrying out subsection (a), the President
shall--
(1) consult with Congress, relevant Federal departments and
agencies, and representatives of independent civil society;
(2) focus on areas in developing countries with high
prevalence of child marriage; and
(3) encompass diplomatic initiatives between the United
States and governments of developing countries, with attention
to human rights, legal reforms and the rule of law, and
programmatic initiatives in the areas of education, health,
income generation, human rights, and democracy building.
(c) Report.--Not later than one year after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the President shall transmit to Congress a
report that includes--
(1) the specific steps taken to carry out subsection (a);
(2) an assessment, including data disaggregated by age and
sex to the extent possible, of current United States-funded
efforts to specifically prevent child marriage in developing
countries; and
(3) examples of best practices or programs to prevent child
marriage in developing countries that could be replicated.
SEC. 4. DEPARTMENT OF STATE'S COUNTRY REPORTS ON HUMAN RIGHTS
PRACTICES.
The Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 is amended--
(1) in section 116 (22 U.S.C. 2151n), by adding at the end
the following new subsection:
``(g)(1) The report required by subsection (d) shall include for
each country in which child marriage is prevalent at a rate at or above
40 percent in at least one sub-national region of the country, a
description of the status of the practice of child marriage in the
country.
``(2) In this subsection, the term `child marriage' means the
marriage of a girl or boy, not yet the minimum age for marriage
stipulated in law in the country in which the girl or boy is a resident
or, where there is no such law, under the age of 18.''; and
(2) in section 502B (22 U.S.C. 2304), by adding at the end
the following new subsection:
``(j)(1) The report required by subsection (b) shall include for
each country in which child marriage is prevalent at a rate at or above
40 percent in at least one sub-national region of the country, a
description of the status of the practice of child marriage in the
country.
``(2) In this subsection, the term `child marriage' means the
marriage of a girl or boy, not yet the minimum age for marriage
stipulated in law in the country in which the girl or boy is a resident
or, where there is no such law, under the age of 18.''.
SEC. 5. CHILD MARRIAGE DEFINED.
In this Act, the term ``child marriage'' means the marriage of a
girl or boy, not yet the minimum age for marriage stipulated in law in
the country in which the girl or boy is a resident or, where there is
no such law, under the age of 18.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
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