118th CONGRESS 1st Session |
To establish a procedure for terminating a determination by Surgeon General to suspend certain entries and imports from designated places.
February 1, 2023
Mr. Lankford (for himself, Ms. Sinema, Mr. Kelly, Mr. Thune, Mr. Manchin, Mrs. Capito, Mr. Tester, Ms. Hassan, and Mr. Tillis) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
To establish a procedure for terminating a determination by Surgeon General to suspend certain entries and imports from designated places.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
This Act may be cited as the “Public Health and Border Security Act of 2023”.
SEC. 2. Termination of suspension of entries and imports from designated places related to the COVID–19 pandemic.
(a) In general.—An order of suspension issued under section 362 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 265) as a result of the public health emergency relating to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID–19) pandemic declared under section 319 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 247d) on January 31, 2020, and any continuation of such declaration (including the continuation described in Proclamation 9994 on February 24, 2021), shall be lifted not earlier than 60 days after the date on which the Surgeon General provides written notification to the appropriate authorizing and appropriating committees of Congress that such public health emergency declaration (including the continuation described in Proclamation 9994 on February 24, 2021) have been terminated.
(b) Procedures during 60-Day termination window.—
(1) PLAN.—Not later than 30 days after the date on which a written notification is provided under subsection (a) with respect to an order of suspension, the Surgeon General, in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the head of any other Federal agency, State, local or Tribal government, or nongovernmental organization that has a role in managing outcomes associated with the suspension, as determined by the Surgeon General (or the designee of the Surgeon General), shall develop and submit to the appropriate committees of Congress, a plan to address any possible influx of entries or imports, as defined in such order of suspension, related to the termination of such order.
(2) FAILURE TO SUBMIT.—If a plan under paragraph (1) is not submitted to the appropriate committees of Congress within the 30-day period described in such paragraph, not later than 7 days after the expiration of such 30-day period, the Secretary shall notify the appropriate committees of Congress, in writing, of the status of preparing such a plan and the timing for submission as required under paragraph (1). The termination of order related to such plan shall be delayed until that date that is 30 days after the date on which such plan is submitted to such committees.