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. KIRKPATRICK, 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 committee concerned 

A BILL 

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. 

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 ‘‘Binational Health 

5 Strategies Act of 2021’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. UNITED STATES-MEXICO BORDER HEALTH COMMIS2 SION INFECTIOUS DISEASE PREPAREDNESS. 

3 The United States-Mexico Border Health Commis4 sion Act (22 U.S.C. 290n et seq.) is amended by inserting 

5 after section 4 (22 U.S.C. 290n–2) the following: 

6 ‘‘SEC. 4A. INFECTIOUS DISEASE PREPAREDNESS. 

7 ‘‘(a) PRESIDENTIAL NEGOTIATIONS.—The President 

8 is authorized and directed to, not later than 30 days after 

9 the date of the enactment of this section, seek to begin 

10 negotiations with Mexico to amend the agreement entered 

11 into pursuant to section 2, addressing infectious disease 

12 preparedness in the United States-Mexico Border Area, 

13 with respect to— 

14 ‘‘(1) COVID–19, including the development of 

15 the report specified in subsection (b) and the plan 

16 specified in subsection (c); and 

17 ‘‘(2) other infectious diseases, including the de18 velopment and implementation of the plan specified 

19 in subsection (d). 

20 ‘‘(b) COVID–19 RESPONSE.—Not later than 120 

21 days after the date on which negotiations referred to in 

22 subsection (a) begin, and annually thereafter (for as long 

23 as the Commission, acting with the participation of mem24 bers representing both the United States and Mexican sec25 tions, determines is necessary), the Commission shall sub26 mit to Congress a report on the United States-Mexico BorVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:02 Apr 19, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1538.IH H1538

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1 der Area’s response (beginning on February 1, 2020) to 

2 COVID–19, including with respect to testing, contact trac3 ing, and other infection prevention and control measures 

4 carried out in the United States-Mexico Border Area, in 

5 both the United States and Mexico. 

6 ‘‘(c) COVID–19 BINATIONAL PLAN.— 

7 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 60 days 

8 after the date on which negotiations referred to in 

9 subsection (a) begin, the Commission (acting with 

10 the participation of members representing both the 

11 United States and Mexican sections) shall develop, 

12 and publish on a public website of the Commission, 

13 a binational strategic plan that addresses, with re14 spect to COVID–19, how— 

15 ‘‘(A) the United States-Mexico Border 

16 Area should strengthen its response to COVID– 

17 19, with a focus on testing, contact tracing, and 

18 other infection prevention and control measures; 

19 ‘‘(B) the effect of COVID–19 on the eco20 nomic conditions in the United States-Mexico 

21 Border Area may be mitigated; 

22 ‘‘(C) the sharing of relevant health data, 

23 with respect to COVID–19, including testing 

24 and positivity rates, between health agencies 


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1 within the United States-Mexico Border Area 

2 can be strengthened; and 

3 ‘‘(D) a COVID–19 vaccine should be dis4 bursed throughout the United States-Mexico 

5 Border Area, taking into account the various 

6 vulnerable populations in the region. 

7 ‘‘(2) IMPLEMENTATION.—Not later than 90 

8 days after the date on which negotiations referred to 

9 in subsection (a) begin, the Commission (acting with 

10 the participation of members representing both the 

11 United States and Mexican sections) shall develop, 

12 and publish on a public website of the Commission, 

13 what actions Federal agencies will take within the 

14 United States section and agencies of the Govern15 ment of Mexico will take within the Mexican section 

16 of the United States-Mexico Border Area to facili17 tate implementation of the plan under paragraph 

18 (1). At least once each year after the publication of 

19 such information, the Commission shall submit to 

20 Congress a report on actions taken by Federal agen21 cies and agencies of the Government of Mexico to fa22 cilitate that implementation during the year covered 

23 by the report. 

24 ‘‘(d) FUTURE INFECTIOUS DISEASE PLAN.— 


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1 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 

2 after the date on which negotiations referred to in 

3 subsection (a) begin, the Commission shall develop 

4 and publish a plan to prepare and respond to infec5 tious diseases (other than COVID–19) within the 

6 United States-Mexico Border Area. Such plan shall 

7 address how— 

8 ‘‘(A) the United States-Mexico Border 

9 Area should strengthen its response to such in10 fectious diseases, with a focus on testing, con11 tact tracing, and other infection prevention and 

12 control measures; 

13 ‘‘(B) the effect of such infectious diseases 

14 on the economic conditions in the United 

15 States-Mexico Border Area may be mitigated; 

16 ‘‘(C) the sharing of relevant health data, 

17 with respect to such infectious diseases, includ18 ing testing and positivity rates, between health 

19 agencies within the United States-Mexico Bor20 der Area can be strengthened; and 

21 ‘‘(D) a vaccine for such infectious diseases 

22 should be disbursed throughout the United 

23 States-Mexico Border Area, taking into account 

24 the various vulnerable populations in the region. 


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1 ‘‘(2) UPDATES.—The Commission shall update 

2 the plan published under paragraph (1) at least once 

3 every 3 years for as long as the Commission, acting 

4 with the participation of members representing both 

5 the United States and Mexican sections, determines 

6 is necessary. 

7 ‘‘(3) IMPLEMENTATION.—Not later than 210 

8 days after the date on which negotiations referred to 

9 in subsection (a) begin, the Commission (acting with 

10 the participation of members representing both the 

11 United States and Mexican sections) shall develop, 

12 and publish on a public website of the Commission, 

13 what actions Federal agencies will take within the 

14 United States section and agencies of the Govern15 ment of Mexico will take within the Mexican section 

16 of the United States-Mexico Border Area to facili17 tate implementation of the plan under paragraph 

18 (1). At least once a year after the publication of 

19 such information, the Commission shall submit to 

20 Congress a report on actions taken by Federal agen21 cies and agencies of the Government of Mexico to fa22 cilitate that implementation during the year covered 

23 by the report. 

24 ‘‘(e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 


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1 ‘‘(1) COVID–19.—The term ‘COVID–19’ re2 fers to the 2019 coronavirus disease caused by 

3 SARS–CoV–2. 

4 ‘‘(2) SARS–COV–2.—The term ‘SARS–CoV–2’ 

5 refers to the severe acute respiratory syndrome 

6 coronavirus 2 virus responsible for COVID–19 and 

7 includes any viral variant mutating therefrom with 

8 pandemic potential.’’. 

Æ 


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