he U.S. House on Tuesday unanimously approved a bipartisan bill sponsored by Michigan Rep. Dave Trott that would increase the maximum federal penalty for female genital mutilation from five years in prison to 15 years.

The vote was 409-0.

Trott, R-Birmingham, said he was moved to introduce the legislation this year after prosecutors filed charges in the nation’s first case involving two Michigan physicians who allegedly performed the procedure on two 7-year-old girls. The case arose in Trott’s Metro Detroit district.

House increases penalty for female genital mutilation – The Detroit News