I 

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. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘International Preven5 tion of Child Marriage Act of 2010’’. 

6 SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

7 It is the sense of Congress that— 

8 (1) child marriage is a violation of human 

9 rights and the prevention and elimination of child 


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1 marriage should be a foreign policy goal of the 

2 United States; 

3 (2) the practice of child marriage undermines 

4 United States investments in foreign assistance to 

5 promote education and skills building for girls, re6 duce maternal and child mortality, reduce maternal 

7 illness, halt the transmission of HIV/AIDS, prevent 

8 gender-based violence, and reduce poverty; and 

9 (3) educational opportunities for girls, economic 

10 opportunities for women, and reducing maternal and 

11 child mortality are critical to achieving the global 

12 health and development objectives of the United 

13 States, including efforts to prevent HIV/AIDS. 

14 SEC. 3. PREVENTION OF CHILD MARRIAGE IN DEVELOPING 

15 COUNTRIES. 

16 (a) STRATEGY REQUIRED.—The President, acting 

17 through the Secretary of State, shall establish a multi-year 

18 strategy to prevent child marriage in developing countries 

19 and to promote the empowerment of girls at risk of child 

20 marriage in developing countries. 

21 (b) CONSULTATION.—In carrying out subsection (a), 

22 the President shall— 

23 (1) consult with Congress, relevant Federal de24 partments and agencies, and representatives of inde25 pendent civil society; 


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1 (2) focus on areas in developing countries with 

2 high prevalence of child marriage; and 

3 (3) encompass diplomatic initiatives between 

4 the United States and governments of developing 

5 countries, with attention to human rights, legal re6 forms and the rule of law, and programmatic initia7 tives in the areas of education, health, income gen8 eration, human rights, and democracy building. 

9 (c) REPORT.—Not later than one year after the date 

10 of the enactment of this Act, the President shall transmit 

11 to Congress a report that includes— 

12 (1) the specific steps taken to carry out sub13 section (a); 

14 (2) an assessment, including data disaggregated 

15 by age and sex to the extent possible, of current 

16 United States-funded efforts to specifically prevent 

17 child marriage in developing countries; and 

18 (3) examples of best practices or programs to 

19 prevent child marriage in developing countries that 

20 could be replicated. 

21 SEC. 4. DEPARTMENT OF STATE’S COUNTRY REPORTS ON 

22 HUMAN RIGHTS PRACTICES. 

23 The Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 is amended— 

24 (1) in section 116 (22 U.S.C. 2151n), by add25 ing at the end the following new subsection: 


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1 ‘‘(g)(1) The report required by subsection (d) shall 

2 include for each country in which child marriage is preva3 lent at a rate at or above 40 percent in at least one sub4 national region of the country, a description of the status 

5 of the practice of child marriage in the country. 

6 ‘‘(2) In this subsection, the term ‘child marriage’ 

7 means the marriage of a girl or boy, not yet the minimum 

8 age for marriage stipulated in law in the country in which 

9 the girl or boy is a resident or, where there is no such 

10 law, under the age of 18.’’; and 

11 (2) in section 502B (22 U.S.C. 2304), by add12 ing at the end the following new subsection: 

13 ‘‘(j)(1) The report required by subsection (b) shall 

14 include for each country in which child marriage is preva15 lent at a rate at or above 40 percent in at least one sub16 national region of the country, a description of the status 

17 of the practice of child marriage in the country. 

18 ‘‘(2) In this subsection, the term ‘child marriage’ 

19 means the marriage of a girl or boy, not yet the minimum 

20 age for marriage stipulated in law in the country in which 

21 the girl or boy is a resident or, where there is no such 

22 law, under the age of 18.’’. 

23 SEC. 5. CHILD MARRIAGE DEFINED. 

24 In this Act, the term ‘‘child marriage’’ means the 

25 marriage of a girl or boy, not yet the minimum age for 


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1 marriage stipulated in law in the country in which the girl 

2 or boy is a resident or, where there is no such law, under 

3 the age of 18. 

Æ 


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