What This Bill Does
This bill gives the Secretary of Health and Human Services new power to block people and goods from entering the United States when the Secretary thinks there is serious danger from illegal drug smuggling. The bill specifically addresses the threat of illicit drugs coming from foreign countries and allows the Secretary to suspend entry rights to protect public health.
Who It Affects
The Secretary of Health and Human Services. People and property coming from foreign countries that the Secretary designates. Foreign countries with substantial illicit drug smuggling.
Key Provisions
* The Secretary can prohibit people and property from entering the United States in whole or in part when the Secretary determines that substantial illegal drug smuggling from a foreign country creates serious danger of drugs entering the United States (Sec. 2(b))
* The Secretary can designate specific countries or places from which entry will be suspended (Sec. 2(b))
* The Secretary can suspend entry rights for whatever time period the Secretary believes is necessary to avert the danger (Sec. 2(b))
* The Secretary must follow regulations that the Secretary creates when using this power (Sec. 2(b))
What Changes
The Public Health Service Act is amended to add a new subsection (b) that creates this new drug-related suspension authority for the Secretary of Health and Human Services.
Important Definitions
None defined in bill text.
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION H. R. 1210
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide the Secretary of Health
and Human Services with the authority to suspend the right to introduce
certain persons or property into the United States in the interest of
the public health.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 27, 2023
Mr. DESJARLAIS (for himself, Ms. MALLIOTAKIS, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey,
Mr. SESSIONS, Mr. BANKS, Mr. BISHOP of North Carolina, Ms. MACE,
Mr. CRENSHAW, Ms. VAN DUYNE, Mr. FITZPATRICK, Mr. EDWARDS, Mr.
FRY, Mr. MANN, Mr. RUTHERFORD, Mr. CLINE, and Mr. DONALDS) in-
troduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on En-
ergy and Commerce
A BILL
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide the
Secretary of Health and Human Services with the au-
thority to suspend the right to introduce certain persons
or property into the United States in the interest of
the public health.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Stop Fentanyl Border
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Crossings Act’’.
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•HR 1210 IH
SEC. 2. PROTECTION OF PUBLIC HEALTH.
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Section 362 of the Public Health Service Act (42
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U.S.C. 265) is amended—
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(1) by striking ‘‘Whenever the’’ and inserting
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the following:
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‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Whenever the’’; and
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(2) by adding at the end the following:
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‘‘(b) SUSPENSIONS RELATING TO ILLICIT DRUGS.—
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Whenever the Secretary determines that by reason of the
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existence of substantial illicit drug smuggling from a for-
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eign country there is serious danger of the introduction
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of such drugs into the United States, and that this danger
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is so increased by the introduction of persons or property
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from such country that a suspension of the right to intro-
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duce such persons and property is required in the interest
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of the public health, the Secretary, in accordance with reg-
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ulations promulgated by the Secretary, shall have the
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power to prohibit, in whole or in part, the introduction
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of persons and property from such countries or places as
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he shall designate in order to avert such danger, and for
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such period of time as he may deem necessary for such
21
purpose.’’.
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Æ
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