FREEBIRD Act

Subjects: Health, Administrative law and regulatory procedures, Aviation and airports, Cardiovascular and respiratory health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Health information and medical records, Immunology and vaccination, Infectious and parasitic diseases, Travel and tourism, World health

Summary:  <p><b>Fair Removal of Existing and Enforced Bans on Immunization Relating to Destination Act or the FREEBIRD Act</b></p> <p>This bill nullifies the order issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) titled <i>Amended Order Implementing Presidential Proclamation on Advancing the Safe Resumption of Global Travel During the COVID-19 Pandemic</i> and published on April 7, 2022. (The order restricts the entry of noncitizens who are not immigrants into the United States by air travel unless they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or otherwise attest that they will take public health measures to prevent the spread of the disease.)</p> <p>The bill also nullifies any successor or subsequent orders that require foreign persons traveling by air to show proof of a COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of entry and prohibits the use of federal funds to administer or enforce such a requirement. However, the bill does not affect the CDC order published on January 5, 2023, that governs COVID-19 testing or documentation of COVID-19 recovery for certain individuals traveling from China to the United States by aircraft.</p> <p>In addition, the CDC must report to Congress about the number of visitors who were denied entry into the United States from April 7, 2022, until the date of the bill's enactment.</p>

<html><body><pre>[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 641 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

&lt;DOC&gt;






118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 641

To terminate the requirement imposed by the Director of the Centers for 
 Disease Control and Prevention for proof of COVID-19 vaccination for 
               foreign travelers, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 2, 2023

Mr. Lee (for himself, Mr. Marshall, Mr. Daines, Mr. Rubio, Mr. Scott of 
 Florida, Mr. Ricketts, and Ms. Lummis) introduced the following bill; 
     which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, 
                     Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To terminate the requirement imposed by the Director of the Centers for 
 Disease Control and Prevention for proof of COVID-19 vaccination for 
               foreign travelers, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Fair Removal of Existing and 
Enforced Bans on Immunization Relating to Destination Act'' or the 
``FREEBIRD Act''.

SEC. 2. TERMINATING CDC REQUIREMENT FOR PROOF OF COVID-19 VACCINATION 
              FOR FOREIGN TRAVELERS.

    (a) In General.--Beginning on the date of the enactment of this 
Act, the air travel vaccination requirement for foreign travelers shall 
have no force or effect.
    (b) Prohibition on Funding.--Beginning on the date of the enactment 
of this Act, no Federal funds may be used to administer, implement, or 
enforce the air travel vaccination requirement for foreign travelers.
    (c) Air Travel Vaccination Requirement for Foreign Travelers.--In 
this Act, the term ``air travel vaccination requirement for foreign 
travelers'' refers to the requirement specified in--
            (1) the order issued by the Director of the Centers for 
        Disease Control and Prevention entitled ``Amended Order 
        Implementing Presidential Proclamation on Advancing the Safe 
        Resumption of Global Travel During the COVID-19 Pandemic'' and 
        published in the Federal Register on April 7, 2022 (87 Fed. 
        Reg. 20405 et seq.), for proof of COVID-19 vaccination for air 
        travelers who are covered individuals (as defined in such 
        order); or
            (2) any successor or subsequent order of the Centers for 
        Disease Control and Prevention requiring foreign persons 
        traveling by air to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination as a 
        condition on entering the United States.

SEC. 3. REPORT.

    Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shall 
submit a report to Congress on the number of visitors denied entry 
under the order specified in section 2(c)(1) during the period 
beginning on April 7, 2022, and ending on the date of the enactment of 
this Act.

SEC. 4. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.

    Nothing in this Act may be construed to suggest that the provisions 
of section 2 shall effect the order issued by the Director of the 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention entitled ``Requirements for 
Negative Pre-Departure COVID-19 Test Results or Documentation of 
Recovery from COVID-19 for Aircraft Passengers Traveling to the United 
States From the People's Republic of China'' and published in the 
Federal Register on January 5, 2023 (88 Fed. Reg. 864) for proof of 
negative pre-departure COVID-19 test results or documentation of 
recovery from COVID-19 for aircraft passengers traveling to the United 
States from the People's Republic of China or departing from a 
designated airport (as defined in such order) if such passenger has 
been in the People's Republic of China within the 10 days prior to 
departure for the United States.
                                 &lt;all&gt;
</pre></body></html>