I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2836 
To authorize appropriations for the Department of State for fiscal years 
2020 through 2022 to provide assistance to El Salvador, Guatemala, 
and Honduras through bilateral compacts to increase protection of 
women and children in their homes and communities and reduce female 
homicides, domestic violence, and sexual assault. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 17, 2019 
Mrs. TORRES of California (for herself and Mrs. WAGNER) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
A BILL 
To authorize appropriations for the Department of State 
for fiscal years 2020 through 2022 to provide assistance 
to El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras through bilat-
eral compacts to increase protection of women and chil-
dren in their homes and communities and reduce female 
homicides, domestic violence, and sexual assault. 
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 ‘‘Central American 
Women and Children Protection Act of 2019’’. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
03:09 Jun 04, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2836.IH
H2836
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress makes the following findings: 
(1) The Northern Triangle countries of El Sal-
vador, Honduras, and Guatemala have among the 
highest homicide rates in the world. In 2017, there 
were 60 homicides per 100,000 people in El Sal-
vador, 43.6 homicides per 100,000 people in Hon-
duras, and 26.1 homicides per 100,000 people in 
Guatemala. 
(2) Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador are 
characterized by a high prevalence of drug- and 
gang-related violence, murder, and crimes involving 
sexual- and gender-based violence. The region also 
has high rates of domestic violence, child abuse, and 
sexual assault. 
(3) Central America ranks high among regions 
of the world for female homicides. A combined 801 
women were victims of homicide in El Salvador, 
Honduras, and Guatemala in 2017 alone, according 
to the United Nations Office of Drug Control and 
Crime. 
(4) El Salvador and Honduras are both among 
the top 3 countries in the world with the highest 
child homicides rates, with more than 22 and 32 
deaths per 100,000 children respectively, according 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
03:09 Jun 04, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2836.IH
H2836
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
to the nongovernmental organization Save the Chil-
dren. 
(5) Thousands of women, children, and families 
are fleeing unsafe homes and communities each 
month in these countries due to surging violence. 
(6) Violent crimes against women and children 
are substantially under-reported because the major-
ity of victims lack safe access to protection and jus-
tice. 
(7) Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador gov-
ernments allow impunity for perpetrators of violence 
against women and children, with less than 10 per-
cent of reported cases resulting in conviction. 
(8) According to a study conducted by the 
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, 
childhood experiences with domestic violence in 
Latin America are a major risk factor for future 
criminal behavior. Fifty-six percent of incarcerated 
women and 59 percent of incarcerated men surveyed 
experienced intra-familial violence during childhood. 
SEC. 3. WOMEN AND CHILDREN PROTECTION COMPACTS. 
(a) AUTHORIZATION TO ENTER INTO COMPACTS.— 
The Secretary of State is authorized to enter into bilateral 
agreements with the Governments of El Salvador, Guate-
mala, and Honduras (in this Act referred to as ‘‘Compact 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
03:09 Jun 04, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2836.IH
H2836
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
Countries’’) to be known as Women and Children Protec-
tion Compacts (in this Act referred to as ‘‘Compacts’’), 
for the purposes of— 
(1) strengthening the Compact Countries’ 
criminal justice systems and civil protection courts 
to protect women and children and serve victims of 
domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse 
and neglect and hold perpetrators accountable; 
(2) securing, creating, and sustaining safe com-
munities, building on current place-based approaches 
to prevent and deter violence against women and 
children; 
(3) ensuring schools are safe and promoting the 
prevention and early detection of gender-based and 
domestic abuse within communities in the Compact 
Countries; and 
(4) providing security within the region to fami-
lies and unaccompanied children fleeing domestic, 
gang, or drug violence. 
(b) COMPONENTS OF COMPACT.—A Compact shall 
establish a 3 to 6 year plan for achieving shared objectives 
articulated in Compacts, in furtherance of the purposes 
of this Act, and shall include— 
(1) identification of areas of highest incidence 
of violence against women and children; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
03:09 Jun 04, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2836.IH
H2836
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
(2) evaluation of women and child victims’ ac-
cess to protection and justice; 
(3) evaluation of justice system capacity to re-
spond to reports of femicide, sexual assault, domes-
tic violence, and child abuse and neglect and to hold 
perpetrators accountable; 
(4) identification of measurable goals to protect 
women and children to deter crimes against them 
that the Compact commits to achieve during the 
term of the Compact; 
(5) indicators to monitor and measure progress 
toward achieving these objectives, including reduc-
tions in prevalence of femicide, sexual assault, do-
mestic violence, and child abuse and neglect; and 
(6) provisions to ensure funds provided under 
the Compact may be fully accounted for with an 
adequate audit trail. 
SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF ASSISTANCE. 
(a) ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary of State and the 
Administrator of the United States Agency for Inter-
national Development are authorized to provide assistance 
to assist the Government of El Salvador, the Government 
of Guatemala, or the Government of Honduras if the 
country enters into a Compact. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
03:09 Jun 04, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2836.IH
H2836
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
(b) PROHIBITION
OF
DIRECT
ASSISTANCE.—No 
funds provided pursuant to this Act shall be provided di-
rectly to the Governments of El Salvador, Guatemala, and 
Honduras. 
(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated $20,000,00 for each of fis-
cal years 2020, 2021, and 2022 to carry out this Act. 
(d) SUSPENSION OF ASSISTANCE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may suspend 
or terminate assistance authorized by this Act to 
any of the three countries if the Secretary deter-
mines that— 
(A) the country’s government is engaged in 
activities that are contrary to the national secu-
rity interests of the United States; 
(B) the country or recipient entity has en-
gaged in a pattern of actions inconsistent with 
the criteria used to determine the eligibility of 
the country or entity, as the case may be; or 
(C) the country or recipient entity has 
failed to make sufficient progress to meet the 
goals of the Compact. 
(2) REINSTATEMENT.—The Secretary may re-
instate assistance for a country or entity suspended 
or terminated under this paragraph only if the Sec-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
03:09 Jun 04, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2836.IH
H2836
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
retary certifies to Congress that the country or enti-
ty has taken steps to correct each condition for 
which assistance was suspended or terminated under 
paragraph (1). 
SEC. 5. COMPACT PROGRESS REPORTS AND BRIEFING. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of State shall sub-
mit to Congress not later than September 30 of each fiscal 
year covered by the authorization a joint report that con-
tains a detailed description of the implementation of the 
Compacts during the prior year. 
(b) CONTENTS.—The report under subsection (a) for 
fiscal year 2022 shall include— 
(1) information on the overall rates of gender- 
based violence in the Northern Triangle countries, 
including by using victimization surveys, regardless 
of whether or not these acts of violence are reported 
to government authorities; 
(2) information on incidences of gender-based 
violence cases reported to the authorities in the 
Northern Triangle countries and the percentage of 
perpetrators investigated, apprehended, prosecuted, 
and convicted; 
(3) information on the capacity and resource al-
location of child welfare systems in each Northern 
Triangle country to protect unaccompanied children, 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
03:09 Jun 04, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2836.IH
H2836
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
including runaways and refugee returnees in North-
ern Triangle countries; 
(4) the percentage of reported violence against 
women and children cases reaching conviction; 
(5) a baseline and percentage changes in 
women and children victims receiving legal and so-
cial services; 
(6) a baseline and percentage changes in school 
retention rates; 
(7) a baseline and changes in capacity of police, 
prosecution service, and courts to combat violence 
against women and children; and 
(8) independent external evaluation of funded 
programs, including compliance with terms of the 
Compacts by all parties. 
(c) BRIEFING.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State 
and the Administrator of the United States Agency for 
International Development shall provide the Committee on 
Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on 
Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives a briefing 
on the data and information collected pursuant to this sec-
tion and the steps taken to protect victims of domestic 
violence, sexual assault, and child abuse and neglect. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
03:09 Jun 04, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H2836.IH
H2836
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS