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18 U.S.C. § 116 — Female genital mutilation
Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
**(a)** Except as provided in subsection (b), whoever, in any circumstance described in subsection (d), knowingly—
(1) performs, attempts to perform, or conspires to perform female genital mutilation on another person who has not attained the age of 18 years;
(2) being the parent, guardian, or caretaker of a person who has not attained the age of 18 years facilitates or consents to the female genital mutilation of such person; or
(3) transports a person who has not attained the age of 18 years for the purpose of the performance of female genital mutilation on such person,
shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 10 years, or both.
**(b)** A surgical operation is not a violation of this section if the operation is—
(1) necessary to the health of the person on whom it is performed, and is performed by a person licensed in the place of its performance as a medical practitioner; or
(2) performed on a person in labor or who has just given birth and is performed for medical purposes connected with that labor or birth by a person licensed in the place it is performed as a medical practitioner, midwife, or person in training to become such a practitioner or midwife.
**(c)** It shall not be a defense to a prosecution under this section that female genital mutilation is required as a matter of religion, custom, tradition, ritual, or standard practice.
**(d)** For the purposes of subsection (a), the circumstances described in this subsection are that—
(1) the defendant or victim traveled in interstate or foreign commerce, or traveled using a means, channel, facility, or instrumentality of interstate or foreign commerce, in furtherance of or in connection with the conduct described in subsection (a);
(2) the defendant used a means, channel, facility, or i
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**(a)** Except as provided in subsection (b), whoever, in any circumstance described in subsection (d), knowingly—
(1) performs, attempts to perform, or conspires to perform female genital mutilation on another person who has not attained the age of 18 years;
(2) being the parent, guardian, or caretaker of a person who has not attained the age of 18 years facilitates or consents to the female genital mutilation of such person; or
(3) transports a person who has not attained the age of 18 years for the purpose of the performance of female genital mutilation on such person,
shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 10 years, or both.
**(b)** A surgical operation is not a violation of this section if the operation is—
(1) necessary to the health of the person on whom it is performed, and is performed by a person licensed in the place of its performance as a medical practitioner; or
(2) performed on a person in labor or who has just given birth and is performed for medical purposes connected with that labor or birth by a person licensed in the place it is performed as a medical practitioner, midwife, or person in training to become such a practitioner or midwife.
**(c)** It shall not be a defense to a prosecution under this section that female genital mutilation is required as a matter of religion, custom, tradition, ritual, or standard practice.
**(d)** For the purposes of subsection (a), the circumstances described in this subsection are that—
(1) the defendant or victim traveled in interstate or foreign commerce, or traveled using a means, channel, facility, or instrumentality of interstate or foreign commerce, in furtherance of or in connection with the conduct described in subsection (a);
(2) the defendant used a means, channel, facility, or instrumentality of interstate or foreign commerce in furtherance of or in connection with the conduct described in subsection (a);
(3) any payment of any kind was made, directly or indirectly, in furtherance of or in connection with the conduct described in subsection (a) using any means, channel, facility, or instrumentality of interstate or foreign commerce or in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce;
(4) the defendant transmitted in interstate or foreign commerce any communication relating to or in furtherance of the conduct described in subsection (a) using any means, channel, facility, or instrumentality of interstate or foreign commerce or in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce by any means or in manner, including by computer, mail, wire, or electromagnetic transmission;
(5) any instrument, item, substance, or other object that has traveled in interstate or foreign commerce was used to perform the conduct described in subsection (a);
(6) the conduct described in subsection (a) occurred within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States, or any territory or possession of the United States; or
(7) the conduct described in subsection (a) otherwise occurred in or affected interstate or foreign commerce.
**(e)** For purposes of this section, the term “female genital mutilation” means any procedure performed for non-medical reasons that involves partial or total removal of, or other injury to, the external female genitalia, and includes—
(1) a clitoridectomy or the partial or total removal of the clitoris or the prepuce or clitoral hood;
(2) excision or the partial or total removal (with or without excision of the clitoris) of the labia minora or the labia majora, or both;
(3) infibulation or the narrowing of the vaginal opening (with or without excision of the clitoris); or
(4) other procedures that are harmful to the external female genitalia, including pricking, incising, scraping, or cauterizing the genital area.
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Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
### Statutory Notes
Section, acts June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 684; Oct. 30, 1984, Pub. L. 98–596, § 8, 98 Stat. 3138, classified offenses as a felony, misdemeanor, or petty offense.
#### Effective Date of Repeal
Repeal of section effective Nov. 1, 1987, and applicable only to offenses committed after the taking effect of such repeal, see section 235(a)(1) of Pub. L. 98–473, set out as an Effective Date note under [section 3551 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title18-section3551&num=0&edition=prelim).
#### Short Title of 2026 Amendment
Pub. L. 119–73, § 1, Jan. 23, 2026, 139 Stat. 2003, provided that: “This Act [enacting sections 28 and 3771A of this title, amending [section 7102 of Title 22](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title22-section7102&num=0&edition=prelim), Foreign Relations and Intercourse, and enacting provisions set out as notes under [section 28 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title18-section28&num=0&edition=prelim) and [section 10110 of Title 34](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title34-section10110&num=0&edition=prelim), Crime Control and Law Enforcement] may be cited as the ‘Trafficking Survivors Relief Act’.”
#### Short Title of 2024 Amendment
Pub. L. 118–78, § 1, July 30, 2024, 138 Stat. 1512, provided that: “This Act [enacting [section 1352 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title18-section1352&num=0&edition=prelim) and amending [section 201 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title18-section201&num=0&edition=prelim)] may be cited as the ‘Foreign Extortion Prevention Technical Corrections Act’.”
Pub. L. 118–77, § 1, July
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Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
**(a) Definitions** In this subchapter, for the purpose of grants authorized under this subchapter:
(1) **Abuse in later life** — The term “abuse in later life”—
(A) means—
(i) neglect, abandonment, economic abuse, or willful harm of an adult aged 50 or older by an individual in an ongoing relationship of trust with the victim; or
(ii) domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking of an adult aged 50 or older by any individual; and
(B) does not include self-neglect.
(2) **Alaska Native village** — The term “Alaska Native village” has the same meaning given such term in the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act ([43 U.S.C. 1601](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title43-section1601&num=0&edition=prelim) et seq.).
(3) **Child abuse and neglect** — The term “child abuse and neglect” means any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caregiver with intent to cause death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse, or exploitation, or an act or failure to act which presents an imminent risk of serious harm to an unemancipated minor. This definition shall not be construed to mean that failure to leave an abusive relationship, in the absence of other action constituting abuse or neglect, is itself abuse or neglect.
(4) **Child maltreatment** — The term “child maltreatment” means the physical or psychological abuse or neglect of a child or youth, including sexual assault and abuse.
(5) **Community-based organization** — The term “community-based organization” means a nonprofit, nongovernmental, or tribal organization that serves a specific geographic community that—
(A) focuses primarily on domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking;
(B) has established a specialized
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Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
**(a)** As used in this chapter—
(1) The term “administrator” means the official designated by the Secretary of State pursuant to [section 1104(b) of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title8-section1104/b&num=0&edition=prelim).
(2) The term “advocates” includes, but is not limited to, advises, recommends, furthers by overt act, and admits belief in.
(3) The term “alien” means any person not a citizen or national of the United States.
(4) The term “application for admission” has reference to the application for admission into the United States and not to the application for the issuance of an immigrant or nonimmigrant visa.
(5) The term “Attorney General” means the Attorney General of the United States.
(6) The term “border crossing identification card” means a document of identity bearing that designation issued to an alien who is lawfully admitted for permanent residence, or to an alien who is a resident in foreign contiguous territory, by a consular officer or an immigration officer for the purpose of crossing over the borders between the United States and foreign contiguous territory in accordance with such conditions for its issuance and use as may be prescribed by regulations. Such regulations shall provide that (A) each such document include a biometric identifier (such as the fingerprint or handprint of the alien) that is machine readable and (B) an alien presenting a border crossing identification card is not permitted to cross over the border into the United States unless the biometric identifier contained on the card matches the appropriate biometric characteristic of the alien.
(7) The term “clerk of court” means a clerk of a naturalization court.
(8) The terms “Commissioner” and “Deputy Commissioner” mean the Co
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Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
Page 40
TITLE 18—CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
§ 116
Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 99–646, § 37(a), inserted ‘‘for the
kidnapping or attempted kidnapping of a person de-
scribed in section 1201(a)(5) of this title’’.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
CHANGE OF NAME
Reference to the Director of Central Intelligence or
the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency in the
Director’s capacity as the head of the intelligence com-
munity deemed to be a reference to the Director of Na-
tional Intelligence. Reference to the Director of Cen-
tral Intelligence or the Director of the Central Intel-
ligence Agency in the Director’s capacity as the head of
the Central Intelligence Agency deemed to be a ref-
erence to the Director of the Central Intelligence Agen-
cy. See section 1081(a), (b) of Pub. L. 108–458, set out as
a note under section 3001 of Title 50, War and National
Defense.
‘‘United States magistrate judge’’ substituted for
‘‘United States magistrate’’ in subsec. (c)(3) pursuant
to section 321 of Pub. L. 101–650, set out as a note under
section 631 of Title 28, Judiciary and Judicial Proce-
dure.
TRANSFER OF FUNCTIONS
For transfer of the functions, personnel, assets, and
obligations of the United States Secret Service, includ-
ing the functions of the Secretary of the Treasury re-
lating thereto, to the Secretary of Homeland Security,
and for treatment of related references, see sections
381, 551(d), 552(d), and 557 of Title 6, Domestic Security,
and the Department of Homeland Security Reorganiza-
tion Plan of November 25, 2002, as modified, set out as
a note under section 542 of Title 6.
§ 116. Female genital mutilation
(a) Except as provided in subsection (b), who-
ever, in any circumstance described in sub-
section (d), knowingly—
(1) performs,
Source: Supplied 2024 U.S. Code historical extraction · 18 U.S.C. § 116
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