Title: Preventing Child Marriage in Displaced Populations Act
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Preventing Child Marriage Act
This bill directs the President, through the United States' Permanent Representative to the United Nations (U.N.), to push for the U.N. to develop a comprehensive strategy to address the problem of child marriage in U.N.-administered refugee settlements. The strategy shall include a mandate to collect and report data on suspected child marriages, protocols for preventing child marriages, and programs to support and rehabilitate victims of such marriages.
The Permanent Representative shall also advocate for the U.N. to (1) examine the relationship between child marriage and violence against girls in all of its research into child marriage, and (2) adopt a standard definition of "child marriage."

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2140 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2140

   To prevent child marriage in United Nations-administered refugee 
                  settlements, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 8, 2019

Mrs. Wagner (for herself and Mr. McCaul) introduced the following bill; 
         which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To prevent child marriage in United Nations-administered refugee 
                  settlements, 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 ``Preventing Child Marriage Act''.

SEC. 2. PREVENTING CHILD MARRIAGE IN UNITED NATIONS-ADMINISTERED 
              REFUGEE SETTLEMENTS.

    (a) In General.--The President shall direct the United States 
Permanent Representative to the United Nations to use the voice, vote, 
and influence of the United States at the United Nations to call for an 
adoption by the United Nations of a definition of ``child marriage'' 
and the development of a comprehensive strategy to address child 
marriage in refugee settlements administered by the United Nations. 
Such strategy should include the following:
            (1) A mandate to regularly collect and report data related 
        to the number of known or suspected child marriages taking 
        place inside each such settlement.
            (2) Protocols for United Nations personnel regarding 
        prevention and monitoring of child marriages inside each such 
        settlement.
            (3) A description of programs administered at such 
        settlements that provide--
                    (A) physical, mental, and emotional rehabilitation 
                and support to children who have extricated themselves 
                from child marriage; and
                    (B) alternatives to child marriage, such as 
                education initiatives.
            (4) Protocols regarding how United Nations personnel 
        should--
                    (A) report adults participating in illegal child 
                marriages in each such settlement; and
                    (B) monitor the prosecution of such adults by the 
                authorities of the country in which the settlement at 
                issue is located.
    (b) Research.--The President shall direct the United States 
Permanent Representative to the United Nations to use the voice, vote, 
and influence of the United States at the United Nations to advocate 
for the United Nations and its appropriate agencies to include in all 
of its research into child marriage the relationship between child 
marriage and violence against girls, including young children and 
infants.
    (c) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Child marriage.--The term ``child marriage'' means a 
        formal marriage or informal union involving at least one person 
        younger than age 18.
            (2) Illegal child marriage.--The term ``illegal child 
        marriage'' means a formal marriage or informal union involving 
        at least one person younger than age 18 that is illegal under 
        the laws of the country in which the child marriage occurs.
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