I
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2475
To amend the Tariff Act of 1930 to prohibit imports of articles produced
or manufactured with bonded child labor, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
SEPTEMBER 15, 1997
Mr. SANDERS (for himself, Mr. MORAN of Virginia, Mr. EVANS, Mr. RUSH,
Mr. TOWNS, Mr. STARK, Mr. FILNER, Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. PAYNE,
Mr. MANTON, and Mrs. MALONEY of New York) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in
addition to the Committee on International Relations, for a period to be
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration
of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee con-
cerned
A BILL
To amend the Tariff Act of 1930 to prohibit imports of
articles produced or manufactured with bonded child
labor, 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 ‘‘Bonded Child Labor
Elimination Act’’.
SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON IMPORTS OF ARTICLES PRO-
DUCED OR MANUFACTURED WITH BONDED
CHILD LABOR.
Section 307 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C.
1307) is amended—
(1) in the first paragraph—
(A) in the first sentence by inserting ‘‘or/
and bonded child labor’’ after ‘‘under penal
sanctions’’; and
(B) in the second sentence by striking ‘‘;
but in no case’’ and all that follows through the
end of the sentence and inserting the following:
‘‘. The President may waive the application of
this section with respect to particular goods,
wares, articles, or merchandise, if the President
determines and certifies in writing to the Con-
gress that it is in the national economic interest
of the United States to allow the entry into the
United States of such goods, wares, articles, or
merchandise.’’; and
(2) by adding at the end the following new
paragraph:
‘‘Bonded child labor,’’ as herein used, shall mean all
work or service—
‘‘(1) which is exacted from any person under 15
years of age, either in payment for the debts of a
parent, relative, or guardian or drawn under false
pretexts; and
‘‘(2) to which such person is confined against
his or her will.’’.
SEC. 3. FOREIGN ASSISTANCE FOR ENFORCEMENT OF
BONDED CHILD LABOR LAWS AND REHABILI-
TATION.
(a) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—In order
to offer assistance to foreign countries to improve the en-
forcement of national laws prohibiting bonded child labor
and to contribute to the rehabilitation of children freed
from bonded child labor, there is authorized to be appro-
priated to the President the sum of—
(1) $100,000 for each of the fiscal years 1998
through 2002 for a United States contribution to
the United Nations Commission on Human Rights
for those activities relating to bonded child labor
that are carried out by the Subcommittee and Work-
ing Group on Contemporary Forms of Slavery; and
(2) $1,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 1998
through 2002 for a United States contribution to
the International Labor Organization for the activi-
ties of the International Program on the Elimination
of Child Labor.
(b) DEFINITION.—As used in this section, the term
‘‘bonded child labor’’ has the meaning given that term in
section 307 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended by sec-
tion 2 of this Act.
Æ