H.R. 9256

[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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