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Lord's Resistance Army Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act of 2009

Public Law 111-172 · S. 1067 · 111th Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by Barack Obama (D) on May 24, 2010 · International Affairs

Sponsor: Sen. Russell Feingold (D-WI)

Cosponsors (64): Sen. Sam Brownback,

Passage votes

  • HouseVoice vote
  • SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Lord's Resistance Army Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act of 2009 - (Sec. 4) Directs the President to submit to Congress a regional strategy to guide U.S. support for multilateral efforts to eliminate the threat to civilians and regional stability posed by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). Requires the strategy to include: (1) a plan to help strengthen efforts by the United Nations (U.N.) and regional governments to protect civilians from attacks by the LRA; (2) an assessment of viable options through which the United States could help develop and support multilateral efforts to eliminate the threat posed by the LRA; (3) an interagency framework to plan, coordinate, and review diplomatic, economic, intelligence, and military elements of U.S. policy across the region regarding the LRA; (4) a description of the type and form of diplomatic engagement across the region undertaken to coordinate and implement U.S. policy regarding the LRA and to work multilaterally with regional mechanisms, including the Tripartite Plus Commission and the Great Lakes Pact; and (5) a description of how this engagement will fit within the context of broader efforts and policy objectives in the Great Lakes Region.

(Sec. 5) Authorizes the President to provide additional assistance to respond to the humanitarian needs of populations the Democratic Republic of Congo, southern Sudan, and Central African Republic affected by LRA activity.

(Sec. 6) Expresses the sense of Congress that the President should support efforts by the people of northern Uganda and the government of Uganda to: (1) assist internally displaced people in transition and returnees by spurring economic revitalization and advancing access to basic services at return sites; (2) enhance the accountability and administrative competency of local governance institutions and public agencies in northern Uganda; (3) strengthen the operational capacity of the civilian police and the justice system in northern Uganda; (4) establish mechanisms for the disarmament and reintegration of former combatants and those abducted by the LRA; and (5) promote programs to address psychosocial trauma.

Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the Secretary of State and the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) should work with Congress to increase future assistance to Uganda if the government of Uganda demonstrates a commitment to reconstruction in war-affected areas of northern Uganda; and (2) the Secretary should withhold non-humanitarian assistance to Uganda if the government of Uganda is not committed to reconstruction and reconciliation in the war-affected areas of northern Uganda and is not taking steps to ensure this process moves forward in a transparent and accountable manner.

(Sec. 7) Expresses the sense of Congress that a continued failure to take meaningful steps toward national reconciliation and accountability risks perpetuating political grievances and fueling new conflicts.

Authorizes the President to support efforts by the people of northern Uganda and the government of Uganda to promote transitional justice and reconciliation on both local and national levels, including to encourage implementation of the mechanisms in the Annexure to the Agreement on Accountability and Reconciliation between the government of Uganda and the LRA.

(Sec. 8) Directs the Secretary to report to Congress on implementation of the strategy and evaluation of the assistance under this Act.

(Sec. 9) Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) of the total amounts to be appropriated for FY2011 for the Department of State and foreign operations, up to $10 million should be used to carry out activities under section 5; and (2) of the total amounts to be appropriated for FY2011-FY2013 for the Department of State and foreign operations, up to $10 million in each such fiscal year should be used to carry out activities under section 7.

(Sec. 10) Defines: (1) "Great Lakes Region" as the region comprising Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, southern Sudan, and Uganda; and (2) "LRA-affected areas" as those portions of northern Uganda, southern Sudan, northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, and southeastern Central African Republic affected by the LRA.

Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

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Related bills

1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.

  • H.R. 2478Related bill

    Lord's Resistance Army Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act of 2009

Data notes

Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 21 actions.

  1. May 24, 2010Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 111-172.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. May 17, 2010FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  4. May 12, 2010FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  5. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.
  6. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 1067.
  7. FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
  8. FloorFloor · Mr. Engel moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
  9. OtherOther · Cleared for White House.
  10. Mar 11, 2010FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  11. FloorFloor · Received in the House.
  12. CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
  13. Mar 10, 2010FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  14. FloorFloor · The committee substitute agreed to by Unanimous Consent.
  15. FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
  16. Dec 15, 2009CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 228.
  17. CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Foreign Relations. Reported by Senator Kerry with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 111-108.
  18. Nov 17, 2009CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Foreign Relations. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
  19. May 19, 2009CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
  20. CommitteeCommittee · Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S5616-5617)
  21. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
Data notes

Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.

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Amendments

1 amendment offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.

  • S.Amdt. 3461SenateSen. Russell FeingoldD-WI· offered Mar 10, 2010Agreed to

    To express the sense of Congress regarding the funding of activities under this Act.

    Mar 10, 2010: Amendment SA 3461 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.

    Agreed to
Data notes

Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.

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Official record

The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.