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) in-
troduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on For-
eign 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 Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘International Preven-
tion 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 
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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, re-
duce 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 de-
partments and agencies, and representatives of inde-
pendent civil society; 
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(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 re-
forms and the rule of law, and programmatic initia-
tives in the areas of education, health, income gen-
eration, 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 sub-
section (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 add-
ing at the end the following new subsection: 
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‘‘(g)(1) The report required by subsection (d) shall 
include for each country in which child marriage is preva-
lent 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 add-
ing 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 preva-
lent 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 
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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. 
Æ 
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