( CNN ) -- Uganda 's parliament adjourned Friday without acting on a bill that would have made engaging in homosexual acts a capital offense , leaving the future of the widely condemned bill uncertain . Though parliament 's mandate ends May 18 , next week has been reserved for the swearing in of new members . Friday 's lack of action on the proposed Anti-Homosexuality Bill means that the issue will not be discussed this session . The bill has been condemned internationally since October 2009 , when it was introduced . In addition to proposing the death penalty for certain gay acts , it proposed requiring anyone aware of violations of the bill to report them to the authorities within a day or face criminal sanction , said Human Rights Watch . The bill would have criminalized `` promotion of homosexuality , '' the organization said in a written statement . That would have jeopardized the work of promoters of human rights , it said . The bill or an amended version of it could be presented in the next parliament , which is expected to open in June , Human Rights Watch said . But by then it would have to return to the beginning of the legislative process , the organization said . `` Today marks the end of a chapter in the fight to protect the rights of the LGBT community in Uganda but the struggle is n't over yet , '' said Graeme Reid , director of the Lesbian , Gay , Bisexual , and Transgender Program at Human Rights Watch , `` There 's a real danger we might see this bill remerge in some form . '' Amnesty International released a statement expressing relief over the lack of action on the bill , which proposed life in prison for marriage by same-sex couples . `` We are relieved that the Anti-Homosexuality Bill was not passed into law today , '' said Michelle Kagari , Amnesty International 's deputy director for Africa . `` This bill would have institutionalized the discrimination , including harassment and arbitrary arrests , that LGBT people in Uganda already face . '' In Washington , State Department spokesman Mark Toner on Thursday condemned the proposed bill as `` odious . '' He added that both President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton `` publicly said it is inconsistent with universal human rights standards and obligations . '' Homosexuality is illegal in most countries in Africa , where sodomy laws were introduced during colonialism . In Uganda , homosexual acts are punishable by 14 years to life in prison , according to rights activists .
The future of the widely condemned bill is uncertain . The bill could jeopardize the work of peace activists , Human Rights Watch says . If presented in the next session , it would have to start the legislative process anew . The U.S. government has described the bill as ` ` odious ''