,i  #aaf? ,,congress  #b;d ,session  ,h4
 ,r4 #fajj  ,,9 ,,! ,,h\se ,,(          
,,repres5tatives  ,m>* #e1 #bjbj,ms4    
,jackson ,lee 7= h]self & ,mr4 ,bacon7  
introduc$ ! foll[+ bill2 :i* 0 ref]r$ to
 ! ,committee on ! ,judici>y  ,a ,,bill 
,to am5d title #ah1 ,unit$ ,/ates ,code1
 to cl>ify ! crim9alization ( female    
g5ital mutilation1 & = o!r purposes4    
#a4 ,%ort title ,?is ,act may be cit$ z 
! ,/r5g!n+ ! ,opposition to ,female     
,g5ital ,mutilation ,act ( #bjbj or !   
,,/op ,,fgm ,act ( #bjbj4  #b4          
,congressional f9d+s & purpose ,!       
,congress f9ds ! foll[+3 7#a7 ,female   
g5ital mutilation is recogniz$          
int]nationally z a human rights         
violation & a =m ( *ild abuse1 g5d]     
discrim9ation1 & viol5ce aga9/ wom5 &   
girls4 ,female g5ital mutilation is a   
global problem ^: eradication requires  
int]national coop]ation & en=cem5t at ! 
national level4 ,! ,unit$ ,/ates %\ld   
demon/rate its commitm5t to ! rights (  
wom5 & girls by lead+ ! way 9 !         

int]national community 9 bann+ ?is      
abhorr5t practice4  7#b7 ,congress has  
previ\sly prohibit$ ! commission (      
female g5ital mutilation on m9ors4      
,female g5ital mutilation is a he9\s    
practice t (t5 inflicts excruciat+ pa9  
on its victims & causes !m to suff]     
grave physical & psy*ological h>m4  7#c7
 ,congress has ! p[] "u article ,i1     
section #h ( ! ,con/itution to make all 
laws :i* %all be necess>y & prop] =     
c>ry+ into execution treaties ent]$ into
 by ! ,unit$ ,/ates4  7#d7 ,congress    
also has ! p[] "u ! ,comm]ce ,clause to 
prohibit female g5ital mutilation4 ,an  
int]national m>ket = ! practice exi/s1 &
 p]sons :o p]=m female g5ital mutilation
 9 o!r c\ntries typically e>n a liv+ f  
do+ s4  7#e7 ,^? :o p]=m ?is conduct (t5
 rely on a connection to int]/ate or    
=eign comm]ce1 su* z int]/ate or =eign  
travel1 ! transmission or receipt (     
communications 9 int]/ate or =eign      
comm]ce1 ! use ( in/rum5ts trad$ 9      
int]/ate or =eign comm]ce1 or paym5ts ( 

any k9d 9 fur!rance ( ?is conduct4  7#f7
 ,am5d+ ! /atute to specify a l9k to    
int]/ate or =eign comm]ce w\ld confirm t
 ,congress has ! affirmative p[] to     
prohibit ?is conduct4  #c4 ,am5dm5ts to 
curr5t law on female g5ital mutilation  
,section #aaf ( title #ah1 ,unit$ ,/ates
 ,code1 is am5d$-- 7#a7 by am5d+        
subsection 7a7 to read z foll[s3  7a7   
,except z provid$ 9 subsection 7b71     
:oev]1 9 any circum/ance describ$ 9     
subsection 7d71 kn[+ly-- 7#a7 p]=ms1    
attempts to p]=m1 or conspires to p]=m  
female g5ital mutilation on ano!r p]son 
:o has n atta9$ ! age ( #ah ye>s2  7#b7 
be+ ! p>5t1 gu>dian1 or c>etak] ( a     
p]son :o has n atta9$ ! age ( #ah ye>s  
facilitates or cons5ts to ! female      
g5ital mutilation ( su* p]son2 or  7#c7 
transports a p]son :o has n atta9$ ! age
 ( #ah ye>s = ! purpose ( ! p]=mance (  
female g5ital mutilation on su* p]son1  
%all be f9$ "u ?is title1 imprison$ n m 
?an #aj ye>s1 or bo?4  2  7#b7 by am5d+ 
subsection 7c7 to read z foll[s3  7c7 ,x

 %all n be a def5se to a prosecution "u 
?is section t female g5ital mutilation  
is requir$ z a matt] ( religion1 cu/om1 
tradition1 ritual1 or /&>d practice4  2 
7#c7 by /rik+ subsection 7d72 &  7#d7 by
 add+ at ! end ! foll[+3  7d7 ,= !      
purposes ( subsection 7a71 !            
circum/ances describ$ 9 ?is subsection  
are t-- 7#a7 ! def5dant or victim       
travel$ 9 int]/ate or =eign comm]ce1 or 
travel$ us+ a means1 *annel1 facility1  
or in/rum5tality ( int]/ate or =eign    
comm]ce1 9 fur!rance ( or 9 connection )
 ! conduct describ$ 9 subsection 7a72   
7#b7 ! def5dant us$ a means1 *annel1    
facility1 or in/rum5tality ( int]/ate or
 =eign comm]ce 9 fur!rance ( or 9       
connection ) ! conduct describ$ 9       
subsection 7a72  7#c7 any paym5t ( any  
k9d 0 made1 directly or indirectly1 9   
fur!rance ( or 9 connection ) ! conduct 
describ$ 9 subsection 7a7 us+ any means1
 *annel1 facility1 or in/rum5tality (   
int]/ate or =eign comm]ce or 9 or       
affect+ int]/ate or =eign comm]ce2  7#d7

 ! def5dant transmitt$ 9 int]/ate or    
=eign comm]ce any communication relat+  
to or 9 fur!rance ( ! conduct describ$ 9
 subsection 7a7 us+ any means1 *annel1  
facility1 or in/rum5tality ( int]/ate or
 =eign comm]ce or 9 or affect+ int]/ate 
or =eign comm]ce by any means or 9      
mann]1 includ+ by comput]1 mail1 wire1  
or electromagnetic transmission2  7#e7  
any in/rum5t1 item1 sub/ance1 or o!r    
object t has travel$ 9 int]/ate or =eign
 comm]ce 0 us$ to p]=m ! conduct        
describ$ 9 subsection 7a72  7#f7 !      
conduct describ$ 9 subsection 7a7       
occurr$ )9 ! special m>itime &          
t]ritorial jurisdiction ( ! ,unit$      
,/ates1 or any t]ritory or possession ( 
! ,unit$ ,/ates2 or  7#g7 ! conduct     
describ$ 9 subsection 7a7 o!rwise       
occurr$ 9 or affect$ int]/ate or =eign  
comm]ce4  7e7 ,= purposes ( ?is section1
 ! t]m female g5ital mutilation means   
any proc$ure p]=m$ = non-m$ical reasons 
t involves p>tial or total removal (1 or
 o!r injury to1 ! ext]nal female        

g5italia1 & includes-- 7#a7 a           
clitoridectomy or ! p>tial or total     
removal ( ! clitoris or ! prepuce or    
clitoral hood2  7#b7 excision or !      
p>tial or total removal 7) or )\t       
excision ( ! clitoris7 ( ! labia m9ora  
or ! labia majora1 or bo?2  7#c7        
infibulation or ! n>r[+ ( ! vag9al op5+ 
7) or )\t excision ( ! clitoris72 or    
7#d7 o!r proc$ures t are h>mful to !    
ext]nal female g5italia1 includ+ prick+1
 incis+1 scrap+1 or caut]iz+ ! g5ital   
area4  4  #d4 ,report ,n lat] ?an "o ye>
 aft] ! date ( ! enactm5t ( ?is ,act1 & 
annually !reaft]1 ! ,attorney ,g5]al1 9 
consultation ) ! ,secret>y ( ,homel&    
,security1 ! ,secret>y ( ,/ate1 !       
,secret>y ( ,heal? & ,human ,s]vices1 & 
! ,secret>y ( ,education1 %all submit to
 ,congress a report t includes-- 7#a7 an
 e/imate ( ! numb] ( wom5 & girls 9 !   
,unit$ ,/ates at risk ( or :o h be5     
subject$ to female g5ital mutilation2   
7#b7 ! protections available & actions  
tak51 if any1 by ,f$]al1 ,/ate1 & local 

ag5cies to protect su* wom5 & girls2 &  
7#c7 ! actions tak5 by ,f$]al ag5cies to
 educate & assi/ communities & key      
/akehold]s ab\t female g5ital           
mutilation4  #e4 ,s5se ( ! ,congress ,x 
is ! s5se ( ! ,congress t ! ,unit$      
,/ates ,di/rict ,c\rt = ! ,ea/]n        
,di/rict ( ,mi*igan err$ 9 invalidat+ ! 
prior v]sion ( su* section #aaf 7,see   
,unit$ ,/ates v4 ,nag>wala1 #cej ,f4    
,supp4 #c;d #fac1 #fca 7,e4,d4 ,mi*4    
#bjah774 ,! comm]cial nature ( female   
g5ital mutilation 7h]e9aft] 9 ?is       
section ref]r$ to z ,,fgm7 is           
self-evid5t1 mean+ t ! abs5ce (         
p>ticul>iz$ f9d+s ab\t ! comm]cial      
nature ( ,,fgm 9 ! pr$ecessor /atute did
 n call into "q ,congress's au?ority to 
legislate 7,gonzales v4 ,rai*1 #ede     
,u4,s4 #a1 #ba 7#bjje774 ,nev]!less1 !  
,congress has elect$ to am5d ! ,,fgm    
/atute to cl>ify ! comm]cial nature ( ! 
conduct t ?is /atute regulates4 ,b1 by  
do+ s1 ,congress does n h]eby ratify !  
di/rict c\rt's errone\s int]pretation 9 

,nag>wala4