[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 90 (Wednesday, June 22, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Page S4032]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. DURBIN (for himself and Mr. Boozman):
  S. 1259. 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; to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of 
the bill be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                S. 1259

       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 ``Trafficking Victims Enhanced 
     Protection Act of 2011''.

     SEC. 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.

     SEC. 3. 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)''.
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