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 des-
ignated countries to prevent the spread of communicable 
diseases and import into the United States of certain 
controlled substances. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Securing the Border 
for Public Health Act of 2023’’. 
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SEC. 2. SUSPENSION OF ENTRIES AND IMPORTS FROM DES-
IGNATED COUNTRIES TO PREVENT SPREAD 
OF COMMUNICABLE DISEASES AND IMPORT 
OF CERTAIN CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES. 
Section 362 of the Public Health Service Act (42 
U.S.C. 265) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘SEC. 362. SUSPENSION OF ENTRIES AND IMPORTS FROM 
DESIGNATED 
COUNTRIES 
TO 
PREVENT 
SPREAD OF COMMUNICABLE DISEASES AND 
IMPORT OF CERTAIN CONTROLLED SUB-
STANCES. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Whenever the Secretary makes 
a determination described in subsection (b) with respect 
to a country, the Secretary, by regulation, shall have the 
power to prohibit, in whole or in part, for a period of time 
determined to be necessary by the Secretary, the introduc-
tion of persons and property from such countries des-
ignated by the Secretary in order to avert the danger de-
scribed in such subsection. 
‘‘(b) DETERMINATION.—A determination described 
in this subsection is a determination by the Secretary that, 
by reason of the existence of any communicable disease 
or, after consultation with the Attorney General, certain 
controlled substances in a foreign country— 
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‘‘(1) there is serious danger of the introduction 
of such disease or substances into the United States; 
and 
‘‘(2) such danger is so increased by the intro-
duction of persons or property from such country 
that a suspension of the right to introduce such per-
sons and property is required in the interest of the 
public health. 
‘‘(c) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘certain 
controlled substance’ means— 
‘‘(1) a narcotic drug as defined in section 
1300.01 of title 21, Code of Federal Regulations (or 
successor regulations); 
‘‘(2) 
an 
opiate 
as 
described 
in 
section 
1308.11(b) or 1308.12(c) of such title (or successor 
regulations); 
‘‘(3) an opium derivative as described in section 
1308.11(c) of such title (or successor regulations); 
‘‘(4) a stimulant as described in section 
1308.11(f) or 1308.12(d) of such title (or successor 
regulations); and 
‘‘(5) a fentanyl-related substance as described 
in section 1308.11(h) of such title (or successor reg-
ulations).’’. 
Æ 
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