II 112th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 1259 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES June 22, 2011 Mr. Durbin (for himself and Mr. Boozman) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations A BILL To amend the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 to prohibit the provision of peacekeeping operations assistance to governments of countries that recruit and use child soldiers.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Trafficking Victims Enhanced Protection Act of 2011.

2.

Findings

Congress makes the following findings: (1)There are as many as 300,000 child soldiers in use by state-run armies, paramilitaries, and guerilla groups in roughly 21 countries around the world and in almost every region of the world. (2)The 2010 Trafficking in Persons Report defines a child soldier as any person under 18 years of age who directly takes part in hostilities, has been compulsorily or voluntarily recruited as a member of a government’s armed forces, or has been recruited or used in hostilities by armed forces distinct from the armed forces of a state. (3)Children are used as soldiers, combatants, spies, scouts, decoys, guards, cooks, human mine detectors, and even sex slaves, robbing them of their childhood. Children are forced to join such groups physically, economically, or socially, or lured with promises of food, money, or security. (4)Exploitation of these children leaves them stigmatized and traumatized. Children also suffer higher mortality, disease, and injury rates in combat situations than adults, putting their health and lives at risk. (5)The William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 (Public Law 110–457) prohibits the provision of International Military Education and Training (IMET) and Foreign Military Funds (FMF) assistance to countries found to use child soldiers. (6)The first report required under WTVPRA, published in 2010, identified 6 countries found to use child soldiers: Burma, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Sudan, Yemen, and Chad. (7)On October 25, 2010, President Barack Obama exercised his waiver authority for 4 of the 6 countries to include the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Sudan, Yemen, and Chad, which allowed the United States Government to provide both IMET and FMF funding to these countries. (8)United States peacekeeping funds that were not restricted in the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 have been provided to Somalia, despite the use of child soldiers in that country and United States efforts to halt such practices.

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Prohibition on provision of peacekeeping operations assistance to certain governments

Section 404(a) of the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 (22 U.S.C. 2370c–1(a)) is amended by striking section 516 or 541 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2321j or 2347) and inserting section 516, 541, or 551 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2321j, 2347, or 2348).