Federal

To terminate the requirement imposed by the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for proof of COVID-19 vaccination for foreign travelers, and for other purposes.

Source: Congress.gov · 778 words in original text

What This Bill Does

This bill stops a requirement that foreign travelers show proof of COVID-19 vaccination before flying into the United States. It also prevents the federal government from spending money to enforce this vaccination requirement. ##

Who It Affects

Foreign travelers arriving by airplane to the United States are directly affected. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is affected in its ability to enforce this requirement. ##

Key Provisions

• The air travel vaccination requirement for foreign travelers will no longer be in effect beginning when this bill becomes law (Sec. 1a) • No federal money may be used to administer, enforce or implement the air travel vaccination requirement for foreign travelers (Sec. 1b) • The Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must submit a report to Congress within 90 days showing how many visitors were denied entry under the previous vaccination order (Sec. 2) • This bill does not affect a separate order requiring negative COVID-19 test results or recovery documentation for travelers from China (Sec. 3) ##

What Changes

Foreign travelers will no longer need to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination to board planes to the United States. The federal government will stop funding any activities related to checking vaccination proof for foreign air travelers. ##

Important Definitions

The bill defines "air travel vaccination requirement for foreign travelers" as referring to two specific orders: an order from April 7, 2022, requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination for covered individuals, and any future orders by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with similar requirements (Sec. 1c). ##

Effective Date

The date this bill becomes law (Sec. 1a, 1b)

II Calendar No. 14 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 185 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES FEBRUARY 9, 2023 Received; read the first time FEBRUARY 13, 2023 Read the second time and placed on the calendar AN ACT To terminate the requirement imposed by the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for proof of COVID–19 vaccination for foreign travelers, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:19 Feb 14, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H185.PCS H185 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 HR 185 PCS SECTION 1. TERMINATING CDC REQUIREMENT FOR PROOF 1 OF COVID–19 VACCINATION FOR FOREIGN 2 TRAVELERS. 3 (a) IN GENERAL.—Beginning on the date of the en- 4 actment of this Act, the air travel vaccination requirement 5 for foreign travelers shall have no force or effect. 6 (b) PROHIBITION ON FUNDING.—Beginning on the 7 date of the enactment of this Act, no Federal funds may 8 be used to administer, implement, or enforce the air travel 9 vaccination requirement for foreign travelers. 10 (c) AIR TRAVEL VACCINATION REQUIREMENT FOR 11 FOREIGN TRAVELERS.—In this Act, the term ‘‘air travel 12 vaccination requirement for foreign travelers’’ refers to the 13 requirement specified in— 14 (1) the order issued by the Director of the Cen- 15 ters for Disease Control and Prevention entitled 16 ‘‘Amended Order Implementing Presidential Procla- 17 mation on Advancing the Safe Resumption of Global 18 Travel During the COVID–19 Pandemic’’ and pub- 19 lished in the Federal Register on April 7, 2022 (87 20 Fed. Reg. 20405 et seq.), for proof of COVID–19 21 vaccination for air travelers who are covered individ- 22 uals (as defined in such order); or 23 (2) any successor or subsequent order of the 24 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention requir- 25 ing foreign persons traveling by air to show proof of 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:19 Feb 14, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H185.PCS H185 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 HR 185 PCS COVID–19 vaccination as a condition on entering 1 the United States. 2 SEC. 2. REPORT. 3 Not later than 90 days after the date of the enact- 4 ment of this Act, the Director of the Centers for Disease 5 Control and Prevention shall submit a report to Congress 6 on the number of visitors denied entry under the order 7 specified in subsection (c)(1) during the period beginning 8 on April 7, 2022, and ending on the date of the enactment 9 of this Act. 10 SEC. 3. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION. 11 Nothing in this Act may be construed to suggest that 12 the provisions of section 1 shall effect the order issued 13 by the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and 14 Prevention entitled ‘‘Requirements for Negative Pre-De- 15 parture COVID–19 Test Results or Documentation of Re- 16 covery from COVID–19 for Aircraft Passengers Traveling 17 to the United States From the People’s Republic of 18 China’’ and published in the Federal Register on January 19 5, 2023 (88 Fed. Reg. 864) for proof of negative pre-de- 20 parture COVID–19 test results or documentation of recov- 21 ery from COVID–19 for aircraft passengers traveling to 22 the United States from the People’s Republic of China or 23 departing from a designated airport if such passenger has 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:19 Feb 14, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H185.PCS H185 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 4 HR 185 PCS been in the People’s Republic of China within the 10 days 1 prior to departure for the United States. 2 Passed the House of Representatives February 8, 2023. Attest: CHERYL L. JOHNSON, Clerk. VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:19 Feb 14, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H185.PCS H185 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:19 Feb 14, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H185.PCS H185 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS Calendar No. 14 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 185 AN ACT To terminate the requirement imposed by the Di- rector of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for proof of COVID–19 vaccination for foreign travelers, and for other purposes. FEBRUARY 13, 2023 Read the second time and placed on the calendar VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:19 Feb 14, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6651 Sfmt 6651 E:\BILLS\H185.PCS H185 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS

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