I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 801 

To amend title III of the Public Health Service Act to provide for suspension 

of entries and imports from designated countries to prevent the spread 

of communicable diseases and import into the United States of certain 

controlled substances. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 2, 2023 

Mrs. LESKO (for herself and Mrs. MILLER-MEEKS) introduced the following 

bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

A BILL 

To amend title III of the Public Health Service Act to 

provide for suspension of entries and imports from designated countries to prevent the spread of communicable 

diseases and import into the United States of certain 

controlled substances. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Securing the Border 

5 for Public Health Act of 2023’’. 


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•HR 801 IH

1 SEC. 2. SUSPENSION OF ENTRIES AND IMPORTS FROM DES2 IGNATED COUNTRIES TO PREVENT SPREAD 

3 OF COMMUNICABLE DISEASES AND IMPORT 

4 OF CERTAIN CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES. 

5 Section 362 of the Public Health Service Act (42 

6 U.S.C. 265) is amended to read as follows: 

7 ‘‘SEC. 362. SUSPENSION OF ENTRIES AND IMPORTS FROM 

8 DESIGNATED COUNTRIES TO PREVENT 

9 SPREAD OF COMMUNICABLE DISEASES AND 

10 IMPORT OF CERTAIN CONTROLLED SUB11 STANCES. 

12 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Whenever the Secretary makes 

13 a determination described in subsection (b) with respect 

14 to a country, the Secretary, by regulation, shall have the 

15 power to prohibit, in whole or in part, for a period of time 

16 determined to be necessary by the Secretary, the introduc17 tion of persons and property from such countries des18 ignated by the Secretary in order to avert the danger de19 scribed in such subsection. 

20 ‘‘(b) DETERMINATION.—A determination described 

21 in this subsection is a determination by the Secretary that, 

22 by reason of the existence of any communicable disease 

23 or, after consultation with the Attorney General, certain 

24 controlled substances in a foreign country— 


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•HR 801 IH

1 ‘‘(1) there is serious danger of the introduction 

2 of such disease or substances into the United States; 

3 and 

4 ‘‘(2) such danger is so increased by the intro5 duction of persons or property from such country 

6 that a suspension of the right to introduce such per7 sons and property is required in the interest of the 

8 public health. 

9 ‘‘(c) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘certain 

10 controlled substance’ means— 

11 ‘‘(1) a narcotic drug as defined in section 

12 1300.01 of title 21, Code of Federal Regulations (or 

13 successor regulations); 

14 ‘‘(2) an opiate as described in section 

15 1308.11(b) or 1308.12(c) of such title (or successor 

16 regulations); 

17 ‘‘(3) an opium derivative as described in section 

18 1308.11(c) of such title (or successor regulations); 

19 ‘‘(4) a stimulant as described in section 

20 1308.11(f) or 1308.12(d) of such title (or successor 

21 regulations); and 

22 ‘‘(5) a fentanyl-related substance as described 

23 in section 1308.11(h) of such title (or successor reg24 ulations).’’. 

Æ 


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