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. KIRK-
PATRICK, 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 com-
mittee 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-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Binational Health 
Strategies Act of 2021’’. 
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SEC. 2. UNITED STATES-MEXICO BORDER HEALTH COMMIS-
SION INFECTIOUS DISEASE PREPAREDNESS. 
The United States-Mexico Border Health Commis-
sion Act (22 U.S.C. 290n et seq.) is amended by inserting 
after section 4 (22 U.S.C. 290n–2) the following: 
‘‘SEC. 4A. INFECTIOUS DISEASE PREPAREDNESS. 
‘‘(a) PRESIDENTIAL NEGOTIATIONS.—The President 
is authorized and directed to, not later than 30 days after 
the date of the enactment of this section, seek to begin 
negotiations with Mexico to amend the agreement entered 
into pursuant to section 2, addressing infectious disease 
preparedness in the United States-Mexico Border Area, 
with respect to— 
‘‘(1) COVID–19, including the development of 
the report specified in subsection (b) and the plan 
specified in subsection (c); and 
‘‘(2) other infectious diseases, including the de-
velopment and implementation of the plan specified 
in subsection (d). 
‘‘(b) COVID–19 RESPONSE.—Not later than 120 
days after the date on which negotiations referred to in 
subsection (a) begin, and annually thereafter (for as long 
as the Commission, acting with the participation of mem-
bers representing both the United States and Mexican sec-
tions, determines is necessary), the Commission shall sub-
mit to Congress a report on the United States-Mexico Bor-
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der Area’s response (beginning on February 1, 2020) to 
COVID–19, including with respect to testing, contact trac-
ing, and other infection prevention and control measures 
carried out in the United States-Mexico Border Area, in 
both the United States and Mexico. 
‘‘(c) COVID–19 BINATIONAL PLAN.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 60 days 
after the date on which negotiations referred to in 
subsection (a) begin, the Commission (acting with 
the participation of members representing both the 
United States and Mexican sections) shall develop, 
and publish on a public website of the Commission, 
a binational strategic plan that addresses, with re-
spect to COVID–19, how— 
‘‘(A) the United States-Mexico Border 
Area should strengthen its response to COVID– 
19, with a focus on testing, contact tracing, and 
other infection prevention and control measures; 
‘‘(B) the effect of COVID–19 on the eco-
nomic conditions in the United States-Mexico 
Border Area may be mitigated; 
‘‘(C) the sharing of relevant health data, 
with respect to COVID–19, including testing 
and positivity rates, between health agencies 
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within the United States-Mexico Border Area 
can be strengthened; and 
‘‘(D) a COVID–19 vaccine should be dis-
bursed throughout the United States-Mexico 
Border Area, taking into account the various 
vulnerable populations in the region. 
‘‘(2) IMPLEMENTATION.—Not later than 90 
days after the date on which negotiations referred to 
in subsection (a) begin, the Commission (acting with 
the participation of members representing both the 
United States and Mexican sections) shall develop, 
and publish on a public website of the Commission, 
what actions Federal agencies will take within the 
United States section and agencies of the Govern-
ment of Mexico will take within the Mexican section 
of the United States-Mexico Border Area to facili-
tate implementation of the plan under paragraph 
(1). At least once each year after the publication of 
such information, the Commission shall submit to 
Congress a report on actions taken by Federal agen-
cies and agencies of the Government of Mexico to fa-
cilitate that implementation during the year covered 
by the report. 
‘‘(d) FUTURE INFECTIOUS DISEASE PLAN.— 
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‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date on which negotiations referred to in 
subsection (a) begin, the Commission shall develop 
and publish a plan to prepare and respond to infec-
tious diseases (other than COVID–19) within the 
United States-Mexico Border Area. Such plan shall 
address how— 
‘‘(A) the United States-Mexico Border 
Area should strengthen its response to such in-
fectious diseases, with a focus on testing, con-
tact tracing, and other infection prevention and 
control measures; 
‘‘(B) the effect of such infectious diseases 
on the economic conditions in the United 
States-Mexico Border Area may be mitigated; 
‘‘(C) the sharing of relevant health data, 
with respect to such infectious diseases, includ-
ing testing and positivity rates, between health 
agencies within the United States-Mexico Bor-
der Area can be strengthened; and 
‘‘(D) a vaccine for such infectious diseases 
should be disbursed throughout the United 
States-Mexico Border Area, taking into account 
the various vulnerable populations in the region. 
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‘‘(2) UPDATES.—The Commission shall update 
the plan published under paragraph (1) at least once 
every 3 years for as long as the Commission, acting 
with the participation of members representing both 
the United States and Mexican sections, determines 
is necessary. 
‘‘(3) IMPLEMENTATION.—Not later than 210 
days after the date on which negotiations referred to 
in subsection (a) begin, the Commission (acting with 
the participation of members representing both the 
United States and Mexican sections) shall develop, 
and publish on a public website of the Commission, 
what actions Federal agencies will take within the 
United States section and agencies of the Govern-
ment of Mexico will take within the Mexican section 
of the United States-Mexico Border Area to facili-
tate implementation of the plan under paragraph 
(1). At least once a year after the publication of 
such information, the Commission shall submit to 
Congress a report on actions taken by Federal agen-
cies and agencies of the Government of Mexico to fa-
cilitate that implementation during the year covered 
by the report. 
‘‘(e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
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‘‘(1) COVID–19.—The term ‘COVID–19’ re-
fers to the 2019 coronavirus disease caused by 
SARS–CoV–2. 
‘‘(2) SARS–COV–2.—The term ‘SARS–CoV–2’ 
refers to the severe acute respiratory syndrome 
coronavirus 2 virus responsible for COVID–19 and 
includes any viral variant mutating therefrom with 
pandemic potential.’’. 
Æ 
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