Congo Conflict Minerals Act of 2009

Bill: 111-s-891
Sponsor: Sen. Brownback, Sam [R-KS]
Introduced: 2009-04-23 in the Senate
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Africa
Agricultural trade
Conflicts and wars
Congressional oversight
Crime victims
Crimes against women
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Employment discrimination and employee rights
Environmental assessment, monitoring, research
Foreign aid and international relief
Government studies and investigations
Human rights
International organizations and cooperation
Metals
Mining
Securities
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
Sex offenses
Sovereignty, recognition, national governance and status
Trade restrictions
United Nations
Women's rights

Summary:
action_date: 2009-04-23
text: 
Congo Conflict Minerals Act of 2009 - Declares it is U.S. policy to promote peace and security in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) by supporting the efforts of the DRC, other governments in the Great Lakes Region of Africa, and the international community to: (1) monitor and stop commercial activities involving the natural resources of the DRC (the minerals columbite-tantalite [coltan], cassiterite, wolframite, and gold) that contribute to illegal armed groups and human rights violations in the eastern region of the DRC; and (2) develop stronger governance and economic institutions that can facilitate and improve transparency in the cross-border trade involving such natural resources in order to reduce exploitation by illegal armed groups and promote local and regional development.
 
Directs the President, acting through the Secretary of State, the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN), and other appropriate U.S. officials to use the voice of the United States at the UN Security Council to renew the mandate and strengthen the capacity of the UN Group of Experts on the DRC to investigate links between such minerals and the financing of illegal armed groups.
 
Directs the Secretary to work with UN member states and local and international organizations to: (1) produce, and make public, a map of mineral-rich zones and illegal armed groups in the eastern region of the DRC; and (2) provide guidance to commercial entities to ensure that the raw materials used in their products do not finance armed conflict, result in labor or human rights violations, or damage the environment.
 
Requires the Secretary, working with the Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), to report to Congress on a strategy to address the links that exist between human rights abuses, armed groups, and the mining of the minerals in the DRC.
 
Requires specified annual reports to cover such links.
 
Amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to require the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to promulgate rules to require certain persons who engage in the trade or use of coltan, cassiterite, and wolframite to disclose annually to the SEC the country of origin and mine of origin of such minerals.
 
Expresses the sense of Congress on assistance to communities in the eastern DRC that depend economically on the mineral trade, particularly those affected by sexual and gender-based violence, as well as individuals displaced by violence.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-04-23
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
action_date: 2009-04-23
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S4696-4697)
action_date: 2009-04-23
text: Introduced in Senate