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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the authority to suspend entry into this state of |
 
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certain persons. |
 
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             BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
 
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             SECTION  1.    This Act shall be known as the Texas Title 42 |
 
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Act. |
 
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             SECTION  2.    Subtitle D, Title 2, Health and Safety Code, is |
 
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amended by adding Chapter 81B to read as follows: |
 
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Chapter 81B. Suspension of entry of persons from designated places |
 
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to prevent spread of communicable diseases |
 
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             Sec.  81B.001.    DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: |
 
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                         (1)    "COVID-19" means the 2019 novel coronavirus |
 
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disease. |
 
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                         (2)    "Federally declared public health emergency" |
 
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means: |
 
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                                     (A)    a public health emergency declared by the |
 
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United States Secretary of Health and Human Services under 42 |
 
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U.S.C. Section 247d; or |
 
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                                     (B)    an emergency or disaster declared, including |
 
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under a renewal of the declaration, by the president of the United |
 
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States in relation to a public health emergency described by |
 
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Paragraph (A) under: |
 
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                                                 (i)    the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. |
 
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Section 1601 et seq.); or |
 
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                                                 (ii)    the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief |
 
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and Emergency Assistant Act (42 U.S.C. Section 5121 et seq.). |
 
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                         (3)    "Port of entry" means a port of entry in the United |
 
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States, as defined by part 101 of the customs regulations (19 CFR |
 
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part 101). |
 
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                         (4)    "Person" means any individual other than (i) one |
 
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described in the first sentence of section 1 of the Fourteenth |
 
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Amendment to the United States Constitution or (ii) one described |
 
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in 8 U.S.C.   1101(a)(20). |
 
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             Sec.  81B.002.    SUSPENSION OF ENTRY.  (a)  During any of the |
 
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following, all persons entering Texas by land from another country |
 
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must pass through a legal port of entry for appropriate medical |
 
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review: |
 
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                         (1)    the pendency of any federally declared public |
 
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health emergency for COVID-19, |
 
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                         (2)    at any time which the federal government has in |
 
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place any vaccination requirements for any person lawfully residing |
 
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in the United States, including but not limited to government |
 
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contractors or healthcare workers, for the purposes of preventing |
 
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the spread of COVID-19 in the United States, |
 
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                         (3)    at any time which the U.S. Department of State has |
 
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travel warnings for health for any country from which citizens have |
 
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illegally entered the United States during the most recent year for |
 
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which there is available data; or |
 
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                         (4)    the period the COVID-19 vaccine is listed on the |
 
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recommended child and adolescent immunization schedule published |
 
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by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. |
 
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             (b)    Any person who enters the State of Texas from a foreign |
 
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country other than in accordance with subsection (a) of this |
 
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section, shall be removed to the country from which they entered the |
 
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United States, or their country of origin, or another location as |
 
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practicable, as rapidly as possible, with as little time spent in |
 
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congregate settings as practicable under the circumstances. |
 
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             SECTION  3.    This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
 
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
 
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
 
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
 
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Act takes effect on the 91st day after the last day of the |
 
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legislative session. |