Binational Health Strategies Act of 2021

I 117TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 1538 To amend the United States-Mexico Border Health Commission Act, with respect to preparedness for COVID–19 and other infectious diseases in the border region, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MARCH 3, 2021 Ms. ESCOBAR (for herself, Mr. CUELLAR, Ms. JACKSON LEE, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. VELA, Mr. VICENTE GONZALEZ of Texas, Mr. VARGAS, Mrs. KIRK- PATRICK, Mr. TONY GONZALES of Texas, and Mr. CARBAJAL) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the com- mittee concerned A BILL To amend the United States-Mexico Border Health Commis- sion Act, with respect to preparedness for COVID–19 and other infectious diseases in the border region, 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 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Binational Health 4 Strategies Act of 2021’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:02 Apr 19, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1538.IH H1538 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 1538 IH SEC. 2. UNITED STATES-MEXICO BORDER HEALTH COMMIS- 1 SION INFECTIOUS DISEASE PREPAREDNESS. 2 The United States-Mexico Border Health Commis- 3 sion Act (22 U.S.C. 290n et seq.) is amended by inserting 4 after section 4 (22 U.S.C. 290n–2) the following: 5 ‘‘SEC. 4A. INFECTIOUS DISEASE PREPAREDNESS. 6 ‘‘(a) PRESIDENTIAL NEGOTIATIONS.—The President 7 is authorized and directed to, not later than 30 days after 8 the date of the enactment of this section, seek to begin 9 negotiations with Mexico to amend the agreement entered 10 into pursuant to section 2, addressing infectious disease 11 preparedness in the United States-Mexico Border Area, 12 with respect to— 13 ‘‘(1) COVID–19, including the development of 14 the report specified in subsection (b) and the plan 15 specified in subsection (c); and 16 ‘‘(2) other infectious diseases, including the de- 17 velopment and implementation of the plan specified 18 in subsection (d). 19 ‘‘(b) COVID–19 RESPONSE.—Not later than 120 20 days after the date on which negotiations referred to in 21 subsection (a) begin, and annually thereafter (for as long 22 as the Commission, acting with the participation of mem- 23 bers representing both the United States and Mexican sec- 24 tions, determines is necessary), the Commission shall sub- 25 mit to Congress a report on the United States-Mexico Bor- 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:02 Apr 19, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1538.IH H1538 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 1538 IH der Area’s response (beginning on February 1, 2020) to 1 COVID–19, including with respect to testing, contact trac- 2 ing, and other infection prevention and control measures 3 carried out in the United States-Mexico Border Area, in 4 both the United States and Mexico. 5 ‘‘(c) COVID–19 BINATIONAL PLAN.— 6 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 60 days 7 after the date on which negotiations referred to in 8 subsection (a) begin, the Commission (acting with 9 the participation of members representing both the 10 United States and Mexican sections) shall develop, 11 and publish on a public website of the Commission, 12 a binational strategic plan that addresses, with re- 13 spect to COVID–19, how— 14 ‘‘(A) the United States-Mexico Border 15 Area should strengthen its response to COVID– 16 19, with a focus on testing, contact tracing, and 17 other infection prevention and control measures; 18 ‘‘(B) the effect of COVID–19 on the eco- 19 nomic conditions in the United States-Mexico 20 Border Area may be mitigated; 21 ‘‘(C) the sharing of relevant health data, 22 with respect to COVID–19, including testing 23 and positivity rates, between health agencies 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:02 Apr 19, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1538.IH H1538 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 1538 IH within the United States-Mexico Border Area 1 can be strengthened; and 2 ‘‘(D) a COVID–19 vaccine should be dis- 3 bursed throughout the United States-Mexico 4 Border Area, taking into account the various 5 vulnerable populations in the region. 6 ‘‘(2) IMPLEMENTATION.—Not later than 90 7 days after the date on which negotiations referred to 8 in subsection (a) begin, the Commission (acting with 9 the participation of members representing both the 10 United States and Mexican sections) shall develop, 11 and publish on a public website of the Commission, 12 what actions Federal agencies will take within the 13 United States section and agencies of the Govern- 14 ment of Mexico will take within the Mexican section 15 of the United States-Mexico Border Area to facili- 16 tate implementation of the plan under paragraph 17 (1). At least once each year after the publication of 18 such information, the Commission shall submit to 19 Congress a report on actions taken by Federal agen- 20 cies and agencies of the Government of Mexico to fa- 21 cilitate that implementation during the year covered 22 by the report. 23 ‘‘(d) FUTURE INFECTIOUS DISEASE PLAN.— 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:02 Apr 19, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1538.IH H1538 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 5 •HR 1538 IH ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 1 after the date on which negotiations referred to in 2 subsection (a) begin, the Commission shall develop 3 and publish a plan to prepare and respond to infec- 4 tious diseases (other than COVID–19) within the 5 United States-Mexico Border Area. Such plan shall 6 address how— 7 ‘‘(A) the United States-Mexico Border 8 Area should strengthen its response to such in- 9 fectious diseases, with a focus on testing, con- 10 tact tracing, and other infection prevention and 11 control measures; 12 ‘‘(B) the effect of such infectious diseases 13 on the economic conditions in the United 14 States-Mexico Border Area may be mitigated; 15 ‘‘(C) the sharing of relevant health data, 16 with respect to such infectious diseases, includ- 17 ing testing and positivity rates, between health 18 agencies within the United States-Mexico Bor- 19 der Area can be strengthened; and 20 ‘‘(D) a vaccine for such infectious diseases 21 should be disbursed throughout the United 22 States-Mexico Border Area, taking into account 23 the various vulnerable populations in the region. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:02 Apr 19, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1538.IH H1538 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 6 •HR 1538 IH ‘‘(2) UPDATES.—The Commission shall update 1 the plan published under paragraph (1) at least once 2 every 3 years for as long as the Commission, acting 3 with the participation of members representing both 4 the United States and Mexican sections, determines 5 is necessary. 6 ‘‘(3) IMPLEMENTATION.—Not later than 210 7 days after the date on which negotiations referred to 8 in subsection (a) begin, the Commission (acting with 9 the participation of members representing both the 10 United States and Mexican sections) shall develop, 11 and publish on a public website of the Commission, 12 what actions Federal agencies will take within the 13 United States section and agencies of the Govern- 14 ment of Mexico will take within the Mexican section 15 of the United States-Mexico Border Area to facili- 16 tate implementation of the plan under paragraph 17 (1). At least once a year after the publication of 18 such information, the Commission shall submit to 19 Congress a report on actions taken by Federal agen- 20 cies and agencies of the Government of Mexico to fa- 21 cilitate that implementation during the year covered 22 by the report. 23 ‘‘(e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:02 Apr 19, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1538.IH H1538 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 7 •HR 1538 IH ‘‘(1) COVID–19.—The term ‘COVID–19’ re- 1 fers to the 2019 coronavirus disease caused by 2 SARS–CoV–2. 3 ‘‘(2) SARS–COV–2.—The term ‘SARS–CoV–2’ 4 refers to the severe acute respiratory syndrome 5 coronavirus 2 virus responsible for COVID–19 and 6 includes any viral variant mutating therefrom with 7 pandemic potential.’’. 8 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:02 Apr 19, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H1538.IH H1538 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS