What laws against female genital cutting exist in the United States?
Since 1998, 16 states have instituted criminal sanctions against the practice of FGC: California, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia and Wisconsin.5 A federal law criminalizing the practice was passed in 1996 and became effective in April 1997. The law provides that the practice of FGC on a person(s) under the age of 18 is a federal crime, unless the procedure is necessary to protect the health of a young person or for medical purposes connected with labor or birth. The penalty for violating this law is a fine or imprisonment for up to five years, or both. This law specifically exempts cultural beliefs or practices as a defense for conducting FGC.1, 4 In addition to criminalizing the practice, Congress passed three other legislative measures relating to FGC. In 1996, Congress directed the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to carry out educational o
