PAUSE Act of 2021

I 117TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 471 To prohibit the Secretary of Health and Human Services from lessening the stringency of, and to prohibit the Secretary of Homeland Security from ceasing or lessening implementation of, the COVID–19 border health provisions through the end of the COVID–19 pandemic, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JANUARY 25, 2021 Ms. HERRELL (for herself, Mr. STEUBE, Mr. BIGGS, Mr. OWENS, Mr. BURCHETT, Mrs. GREENE of Georgia, Mrs. HARSHBARGER, Mr. BISHOP of North Carolina, Mr. C. SCOTT FRANKLIN of Florida, Mr. MOORE of Alabama, Mr. CALVERT, Mr. FALLON, Mr. CARL, Mrs. BOEBERT, Mr. ARRINGTON, Mr. GOOD of Virginia, Mrs. MILLER-MEEKS, Mrs. HINSON, Mr. WILSON of South Carolina, Mr. BROOKS, Mrs. MILLER of Illinois, Mr. SESSIONS, Mr. GOHMERT, Mr. GOSAR, Mr. GAETZ, and Mr. CAWTHORN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com- mittee on Energy and Commerce A BILL To prohibit the Secretary of Health and Human Services from lessening the stringency of, and to prohibit the Secretary of Homeland Security from ceasing or less- ening implementation of, the COVID–19 border health provisions through the end of the COVID–19 pandemic, 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 15:38 Feb 14, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H471.IH H471 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 471 IH SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 1 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Protecting Americans 2 from Unnecessary Spread upon Entry from COVID–19 3 Act of 2021’’ or the ‘‘PAUSE Act of 2021’’. 4 SEC. 2. MAINTAINING THE STRINGENCY OF COVID–19 BOR- 5 DER HEALTH PROVISIONS THROUGH THE 6 END OF THE PANDEMIC. 7 (a) HHS.—The Secretary of Health and Human 8 Services shall not remove, or lessen the stringency of, the 9 COVID–19 border health provisions unless and until— 10 (1) the public health emergency declared for 11 COVID–19 under section 319 of the Public Health 12 Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d), including renewals 13 thereof, is no longer in effect; 14 (2) the public health emergencies declared for 15 COVID–19 by all States, including renewals thereof, 16 are no longer in effect; and 17 (3) the Director of the Centers for Disease 18 Control and Prevention reduces the travelers’ health 19 risk level for introducing, transmitting, and spread- 20 ing COVID–19 in or from Canada and Mexico to 21 Level 1. 22 (b) HOMELAND SECURITY.—The Secretary of Home- 23 land Security shall not cease or lessen the implementation 24 of the COVID–19 border health provisions unless and 25 until each of the conditions listed in subsection (a) is met. 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 15:38 Feb 14, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H471.IH H471 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 471 IH (c) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘‘COVID– 1 19 border health provisions’’ means the restrictions estab- 2 lished under part G of title III of the Public Health Serv- 3 ice Act (42 U.S.C. 264 et seq.; relating to quarantine and 4 inspection) to prevent the introduction, transmission, or 5 spread of COVID–19 from one or more foreign countries 6 into the United States, including the order titled ‘‘Order 7 under Section 362 & 365 of the Public Health Service Act 8 (42 U.S.C. §§ 265, 268): Order Suspending the Right To 9 Introduce Certain Persons from Countries Where a Quar- 10 antinable Communicable Disease Exists’’ issued by the Di- 11 rector of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 12 on October 13, 2020. 13 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 15:38 Feb 14, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H471.IH H471 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS