HouseH.R. 9256119th Congress
Ending Child Soldiers in Africa Act
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[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9256 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 9256
To require the Secretary of Defense to submit a report on the effects
of child soldiering in Africa on United States national security
interests.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 10, 2026
Mr. Wilson of South Carolina (for himself and Mr. Panetta) introduced
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign
Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Armed Services, for a
period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the
committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Secretary of Defense to submit a report on the effects
of child soldiering in Africa on United States national security
interests.
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 ``Ending Child Soldiers in Africa
Act''.
SEC. 2. REPORT REGARDING CHILD SOLDIERS IN AFRICA.
(a) Report Required.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense, in coordination with
the Secretary of State and the Commander of the United States Africa
Command, shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report
on the effects of child soldiering in Africa on United States national
security interests.
(b) Elements.--The report required under subsection (a) shall
include--
(1) an assessment of the connections between child
soldiering and--
(A) violent extremism;
(B) terrorism;
(C) transnational criminal organizations;
(D) forced population displacement;
(E) regional instability in the Sahel and West
Africa, including the Lobito corridor; and
(F) threats to access to critical minerals and
strategic supply chains throughout Africa;
(2) an assessment of the methods used by extremist
organizations to recruit and indoctrinate children in Africa,
including the exploitation of religion and ideological
narratives;
(3) an evaluation of current efforts by the United States
and allies and partners of the United States to prevent child
soldier recruitment in Africa and support demobilization and
reintegration efforts;
(4) an assessment of lessons learned from successful
African-led reconciliation, rehabilitation, and reintegration
initiatives, including community-based programs and
nongovernmental organizations operating in formerly conflict-
affected regions;
(5) an assessment of the feasibility of creating programs
within the United States Central Command, the United States
Southern Command, and the United States Indo-Pacific Command to
combat child soldiering in each respective region, and
specifically in Bolivia, Cambodia, the Dominican Republic, El
Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Papua New Guinea,
Philippines, Tajikistan, and Syria, based on information
collected pursuant to submission of the report required in
subsection (a);
(6) a feasibility assessment regarding the establishment of
an Africa-based center or coordinating mechanism to--
(A) consolidate lessons learned and best practices
related to preventing child soldier recruitment;
(B) support research, training, and capacity
building to combat child soldier schemes for
governments, militaries, civil society organizations,
and private sector stakeholders in covered countries;
(C) counter extremist recruitment and
radicalization of children; and
(D) promote regional stability and post-conflict
reconciliation;
(7) an assessment of the feasibility of the establishment
of such Africa-based center or coordinating mechanism within a
country that is a member of the East African Community, and in
Uganda specifically; and
(8) a description, with respect to such Africa-based center
or coordinating mechanism, of--
(A) potential models for staffing and support of
such center or coordinating mechanism using existing
United States Government personnel, covered country
participation, nongovernmental organizations, and
regional civil society expertise;
(B) opportunities to leverage existing
reconciliation and rehabilitation expertise developed
in covered countries; and
(C) the potential role of such a center or
mechanism in supporting broader United States Africa
Command objectives related to countering transnational
threats and promoting regional stability.
(c) Covered Country Defined.--In this section, the term ``covered
country'' means a country that has entered into a partnership with the
United States Africa Command and--
(1) has entered into a memorandum of understanding with the
United States regarding the America First Global Health
Strategy of the Department of State, including--
(A) Angola;
(B) Botswana;
(C) Burkina Faso;
(D) Burundi;
(E) Cameroon;
(F) Cote D'Ivoire;
(G) Democratic Republic of the Congo;
(H) Eswatini;
(I) Ethiopia;
(J) Guinea;
(K) Kenya;
(L) Lesotho;
(M) Liberia;
(N) Madagascar;
(O) Malawi;
(P) Mozambique;
(Q) Niger;
(R) Nigeria;
(S) Rwanda;
(T) Senegal;
(U) Sierra Leonne; and
(V) Uganda; or
(2) with respect to which a waiver is in effect pursuant to
section 404(c)(1) of the Child Soldiers Prevention Act of 2008
(22 U.S.C. 2370c-1(c)(1)).
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