22 U.S.C. § 2370c–1: Prohibition

Summary

Blocks U.S. military aid and direct arms sales to any government that, in the most recent year before the fiscal year in question, is clearly found to have forces or government-backed groups that recruit or use child soldiers. The Secretary of State must put the list of those governments in the report required by section 7107(b). The Secretary must tell each listed government within 45 days after that report is submitted, and then tell the appropriate congressional committees after all notifications are done. The President can waive the ban if it is in the national interest and certifies the country is taking effective, ongoing steps to stop using child soldiers, and must tell Congress within 45 days of any waiver. The President can restore blocked aid after certifying the country has an action plan, is taking real steps to comply, and has rules to stop future use of child soldiers. As an exception, the President may provide certain defense training (through named U.S. centers) and nonlethal supplies to a listed country if the country is reasonably working to demobilize and help former child soldiers and the U.S. help goes to military professionalization; that exception cannot last more than 5 years. Programs for military professionalization, security reform, human-rights training, peacekeeping prep, or child-soldier demobilization are not barred by the sales restriction for peacekeeping purposes.

Title 22, §2370c–1

Foreign Relations and Intercourse, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In general

Subject to subsections (b) through (f), the authorities contained in section 2321j, 2347, and 2348 of this title or section 2763 of this title may not be used to provide assistance to, and no licenses for direct commercial sales of military equipment may be issued to, the government of a country that is clearly identified, pursuant to subsection (b), for the most recent year preceding the fiscal year in which the authorities or license would have been used or issued in the absence of a violation of sections 2370c to 2370c–2 of this title, as having governmental armed forces, police, or other security forces, or government-supported armed groups, including paramilitaries, militias, or civil defense forces, that recruit or use child soldiers.

(b)Identification and notification to countries in violation of standards

(1)Publication of list of foreign governments

The Secretary of State shall include a list of the foreign governments that have violated the standards under sections 2370c to 2370c–2 of this title and are subject to the prohibition in subsection (a) in the report required under section 7107(b) of this title.

(2)Notification

(A)In general

Not later than 45 days after the date on which each report is submitted under section 7107(b) of this title, the Secretary of State shall formally notify each government included in the list under paragraph (1) that such government is included in such list.

(B)Congressional notification

As soon as practicable after making all of the notifications required under subparagraph (A) with respect to a report, the Secretary of State shall notify the appropriate congressional committees that the requirements of subparagraph (A) have been met.

(c)National interest waiver

(1)Waiver

The President may waive the application to a country of the prohibition in subsection (a) if the President determines that such waiver is in the national interest of the United States and certifies to the appropriate congressional committees that the government of such country is taking effective and continuing steps to address the problem of child soldiers.

(2)Publication and notification

Not later than 45 days after each waiver is granted under paragraph (1), the President shall notify the appropriate congressional committees of the waiver and the justification for granting such waiver.

(d)Reinstatement of assistance

The President may provide to a country assistance otherwise prohibited under subsection (a) upon certifying to the appropriate congressional committees that the government of such country—

(1)has implemented measures that include an action plan and actual steps to come into compliance with the standards outlined in subsection (b); and

(2)has implemented policies and mechanisms to prohibit and prevent future government or government-supported use of child soldiers and to ensure that no children are recruited, conscripted, or otherwise compelled to serve as child soldiers.

(e)Exception for programs directly related to addressing the problem of child soldiers or professionalization of the military

(1)In general

The President may provide assistance under section 2347 of this title through the Defense Institute for International Legal Studies or the Center for Civil-Military Relations at the Naval Post-Graduate School, and may provide nonlethal supplies (as defined in section 2557(d)(1)(B) of title 10), to a country subject to the prohibition under subsection (a) upon certifying to the appropriate congressional committees that—

(A)the government of such country is taking reasonable steps to implement effective measures to demobilize child soldiers in its forces or in government-supported paramilitaries and is taking reasonable steps within the context of its national resources to provide demobilization, rehabilitation, and reintegration assistance to those former child soldiers; and

(B)the assistance provided by the United States Government to the government of such country will go to programs that will directly support professionalization of the military.

(2)Limitation

The exception under paragraph (1) may not remain in effect for a country for more than 5 years.

(f)Exception for peacekeeping operations

The limitation set forth in subsection (a) that relates to section 2348 of this title shall not apply to programs that support military professionalization, security sector reform, heightened respect for human rights, peacekeeping preparation, or the demobilization and reintegration of child soldiers.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Sections 2370c to 2370c–2 of this title, referred to in subsecs. (a) and (b)(1), was in the original “this title”, meaning title IV of Pub. L. 110–457, Dec. 23, 2008, 122 Stat. 5087, known as the Child Soldiers Prevention Act of 2008, which is classified principally to sections 2370c to 2370c–2 of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

of 2008 Amendment note set out under section 2151 of this title and Tables. Codification Section was enacted as part of the Child Soldiers Prevention Act of 2008, and also as part of the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008, and not as part of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 which comprises this chapter.

Amendments

2019—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 115–425, § 212(b)(1), inserted “, police, or other security forces,” after “governmental armed forces” and substituted “recruit or use child soldiers” for “recruit and use child soldiers”. Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 115–425, § 212(b)(2), amended par. (2) generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “The Secretary of State shall formally notify any government identified pursuant to subsection (a).” Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 115–425, § 212(b)(3), inserted before period at end “and certifies to the appropriate congressional committees that the government of such country is taking effective and continuing steps to address the problem of child soldiers”. Subsec. (e)(1). Pub. L. 115–425, § 212(b)(4), in introductory provisions, substituted “under section 2347 of this title through the Defense Institute for International Legal Studies or the Center for Civil-Military Relations at the Naval Post-Graduate School, and may provide nonlethal supplies (as defined in section 2557(d)(1)(B) of title 10), to a country subject to the prohibition under subsection (a)” for “to a country for international military education, training, and nonlethal supplies (as defined in section 2557(d)(1)(B) of title 10) otherwise prohibited under subsection (a)”. 2013—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 113–4, § 1208(1), substituted “(b) through (f), the authorities contained in section 2321j, 2347, and 2348 of this title” for “(b), (c), and (d), the authorities contained in section 2321j or 2347 of this title”. Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 113–4, § 1208(2), added subsec. (f).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Section effective 180 days after Dec. 23, 2008, see section 407 of Pub. L. 110–457, set out as a note under section 2370c of this title.

Executive Documents

Delegation of Authority Under section 404(c) of the Child Soldiers Prevention Act of 2008 Memorandum of President of the United States, Aug. 4, 2025, 90 F.R. 40013, provided: Memorandum for the Secretary of State By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 301 of title 3, United States Code, I hereby delegate to the Secretary of State the authority under section 404(c)(1} [sic] of the Child Soldiers Prevention Act of 2008 (CSPA) (22 U.S.C. 2370c–l(c)(1)) to waive the application of the prohibition in section 404(a) of the CSPA and to make the determination and certification necessary for such waivers. I hereby also delegate to the Secretary of State the authority under section 404(c)(2) of the CSPA to notify the appropriate congressional committees of such waivers and the justification for granting such waivers, and to publish the determination and certification for such waivers in the Federal Register. You are hereby authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register. Donald J. Trump.

§2370c–1 Prohibition