[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6178 Introduced in House (IH)]








109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6178

  To prohibit the procurement of victim-activated landmines and other 
           weapons that are designed to be victim-activated.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 26, 2006

 Mr. McGovern (for himself and Mr. English of Pennsylvania) introduced 
   the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed 
                                Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To prohibit the procurement of victim-activated landmines and other 
           weapons that are designed to be victim-activated.

    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 ``Victim-Activated Landmine Abolition 
Act of 2006''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) Victim-activated landmines and other weapons that are 
        designed to be victim-activated indiscriminately threaten lives 
        in more than 80 countries. Civilians, including tens of 
        thousands of children, have been the primary victims of these 
        weapons.
            (2) Victim-activated landmines and other weapons that are 
        designed to be victim-activated have killed and maimed United 
        States and coalition troops in Afghanistan, Iraq, and 
        elsewhere.
            (3) The United States was the first nation to call for a 
        comprehensive ban on antipersonnel landmines in 1994 and has 
        not exported antipersonnel mines since 1992, produced 
        antipersonnel landmines since 1997, or used antipersonnel 
        landmines since 1991.
            (4) The United States sets an example for the world by 
        remaining a global leader in funding for mine clearance, mine 
        risk education, and mine survivor assistance.
            (5) The United States has acquired reliable technology that 
        enables all weapons to be equipped with man-in-the-loop 
        targeting and triggering capabilities, meaning that the device 
        can be activated only in response to an intentional act by a 
        person.

SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    The United States Government should continue to set an example for 
other countries by banning procurement of victim-activated landmines 
and other weapons that are designed to be victim-activated.

SEC. 4. PROHIBITION.

    Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Federal Government 
may not procure victim-activated landmines or any other weapon designed 
to be victim-activated in any circumstance.
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