Binational Health Strategies Act of 2020

I 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. R. 8599 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 OCTOBER 16, 2020 Ms. ESCOBAR (for herself, Mr. VELA, Mr. CORREA, Mr. GRIJALVA, and Mr. CUELLAR) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com- mittee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speak- er, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the ju- risdiction of the committee 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 2020’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:46 Nov 01, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8599.IH H8599 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 8599 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 5 (22 U.S.C. 290n–5) the following: 5 ‘‘SEC. 5A. INFECTIOUS DISEASE PREPAREDNESS. 6 ‘‘(a) COVID–19 RESPONSE.—Not later than 120 7 days after the date of the enactment of this section, and 8 annually thereafter (for as long as the Commission, acting 9 with the participation of members representing both the 10 United States and Mexican sections, determines is nec- 11 essary), the Commission shall submit to Congress a report 12 on the United States-Mexico Border Area’s response (be- 13 ginning on February 1, 2020) to COVID–19, including 14 with respect to testing, contact tracing, and other infection 15 prevention and control measures carried out in the United 16 States-Mexico Border Area, in both the United States and 17 Mexico. 18 ‘‘(b) COVID–19 BINATIONAL PLAN.— 19 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 60 days 20 after the date of the enactment of this section, the 21 Commission (acting with the participation of mem- 22 bers representing both the United States and Mexi- 23 can sections) shall develop, and publish on a public 24 website of the Commission, a binational strategic 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:46 Nov 01, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8599.IH H8599 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 8599 IH plan that addresses, with respect to COVID–19, 1 how— 2 ‘‘(A) the United States-Mexico Border 3 Area should strengthen its response to COVID– 4 19, with a focus on testing, contact tracing, and 5 other infection prevention and control measures; 6 ‘‘(B) the effect of COVID–19 on the eco- 7 nomic conditions in the United States-Mexico 8 Border Area may be mitigated; 9 ‘‘(C) the sharing of relevant health data, 10 with respect to COVID–19, including testing 11 and positivity rates, between health agencies 12 within the United States-Mexico Border Area 13 can be strengthened; and 14 ‘‘(D) a vaccine should be disbursed 15 throughout the United States-Mexico Border 16 Area, taking into account the various vulnerable 17 populations in the region. 18 ‘‘(2) IMPLEMENTATION.—Not later than 60 19 days after the date of the enactment of this section, 20 the Commission (acting with the participation of 21 members representing both the United States and 22 Mexican sections) shall develop, and publish on a 23 public website of the Commission, what actions Fed- 24 eral agencies will take within the United States sec- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:46 Nov 01, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8599.IH H8599 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 8599 IH tion and agencies of the Government of Mexico will 1 take within the Mexican section of the United 2 States-Mexico Border Area to facilitate implementa- 3 tion of the plan under paragraph (1). At least once 4 each year after the publication of such information, 5 the Commission shall submit to Congress a report 6 on actions taken by Federal agencies and agencies of 7 the Government of Mexico to facilitate that imple- 8 mentation during the year covered by the report. 9 ‘‘(c) FUTURE INFECTIOUS DISEASE PLAN.— 10 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 11 after the date of the enactment of this section, the 12 Commission shall develop and publish a plan to pre- 13 pare and respond to infectious diseases (other than 14 COVID–19) within the United States-Mexico Border 15 Area. Such plan shall address how— 16 ‘‘(A) the United States-Mexico Border 17 Area should strengthen its response to such in- 18 fectious diseases, with a focus on testing, con- 19 tact tracing, and other infection prevention and 20 control measures; 21 ‘‘(B) the effect of such infectious diseases 22 on the economic conditions in the United 23 States-Mexico Border Area may be mitigated; 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:46 Nov 01, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8599.IH H8599 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 5 •HR 8599 IH ‘‘(C) the sharing of relevant health data, 1 with respect to such infectious diseases, includ- 2 ing testing and positivity rates, between health 3 agencies within the United States-Mexico Bor- 4 der Area can be strengthened; and 5 ‘‘(D) a vaccine should be disbursed 6 throughout the United States-Mexico Border 7 Area, taking into account the various vulnerable 8 populations in the region. 9 ‘‘(2) UPDATES.—The Commission shall update 10 the plan published under paragraph (1) at least once 11 every 3 years for as long as the Commission, acting 12 with the participation of members representing both 13 the United States and Mexican sections, determines 14 is necessary. 15 ‘‘(3) IMPLEMENTATION.—Not later than 60 16 days after the date of the enactment of this section, 17 the Commission (acting with the participation of 18 members representing both the United States and 19 Mexican sections) shall develop, and publish on a 20 public website of the Commission, what actions Fed- 21 eral agencies will take within the United States sec- 22 tion and agencies of the Government of Mexico will 23 take within the Mexican section of the United 24 States-Mexico Border Area to facilitate implementa- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:46 Nov 01, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8599.IH H8599 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 6 •HR 8599 IH tion of the plan under paragraph (1). At least once 1 a year after the publication of such information, the 2 Commission shall submit to Congress a report on ac- 3 tions taken by Federal agencies and agencies of the 4 Government of Mexico to facilitate that implementa- 5 tion during the year covered by the report.’’. 6 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:46 Nov 01, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H8599.IH H8599 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS