S. 4088 – PAUSE Act of 2022

AI-Generated Summary

Updated February 8, 2026 at 10:55 AM UTC

The PAUSE Act of 2022 would keep the COVID‑19 border health rules in place until the pandemic is officially over. It bars the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Homeland Security from easing or ending those rules until three conditions are met: the federal public‑health emergency ends, all state emergencies end, and the CDC lowers the travel risk level for Canada and Mexico to Level 1. The bill applies to any travel restrictions that fall under the Public Health Service Act’s quarantine and inspection authority.

Key Provisions

HHS cannot reduce or remove COVID‑19 border health restrictions until the federal public‑health emergency for COVID‑19 ends, all state emergencies end, and CDC sets the traveler risk level for Canada and Mexico to Level 1.
DHS cannot cease or lessen implementation of those border health provisions until the same three conditions are satisfied.
Defines “COVID‑19 border health provisions” as the quarantine and inspection rules under part G of title III of the Public Health Service Act, including the 2020 CDC order restricting entry from countries with a quarantinable communicable disease.

Legislative Activity

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2 earlier actions

SenateCalendars Latest Action

Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 356.

April 27, 2022

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

April 26, 2022

SenateCalendars

Introduced in the Senate. Read the first time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under Read the First Time.

April 26, 2022

SenateCalendars

Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 356.

April 27, 2022

Floor Debate

2 members

What members said about S. 4088 on the floor

2 Democrats

Sen. Charles E. SchumerD-NY · Apr 27, 2022

Mr. President, I understand there is a bill at the desk that is due for a second reading. Mr. President, in order to place the bill on the calendar under the provisions of rule XIV, I would object to…

Sen. Margaret Wood HassanD-NH · Apr 26, 2022

Mr. President, I understand that there is a bill at the desk, and I ask for its first reading. I now ask for a second reading, and in order to place the bill on the calendar under the provisions of…

Bill Text

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Placed on Calendar SenateIssued April 27, 2022

II

Calendar No. 356

117th CONGRESS

2d Session

S. 4088

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

April 26, 2022

Mr. Cruz introduced the following bill; which was read the first time

April 27, 2022

Read the second time and placed on the calendar

A BILL

To prohibit the Secretary of Health and Human Services from lessening the stringency of, and to prohibit the Secretary of Homeland Security from ceasing or lessening implementation of, the COVID–19 border health provisions through the end of the COVID–19 pandemic, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Protecting Americans from Unnecessary Spread upon Entry from COVID–19 Act of 2022 or the PAUSE Act of 2022.

2.

Maintaining the stringency of COVID–19 border health provisions through the end of the pandemic

(a)

HHS

The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall not remove, or lessen the stringency of, the COVID–19 border health provisions unless and until—

(1)

the public health emergency declared for COVID–19 under section 319 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d), including renewals thereof, is no longer in effect;

(2)

the public health emergencies declared for COVID–19 by all States, including renewals thereof, are no longer in effect; and

(3)

the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reduces the travelers’ health risk level for introducing, transmitting, and spreading COVID–19 in or from Canada and Mexico to Level 1.

(b)

Homeland Security

The Secretary of Homeland Security shall not cease or lessen the implementation of the COVID–19 border health provisions unless and until each of the conditions listed in subsection (a) is met.

(c)

Definition

In this section, the term COVID–19 border health provisions means the restrictions established under part G of title III of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 264 et seq.; relating to quarantine and inspection) to prevent the introduction, transmission, or spread of COVID–19 from one or more foreign countries into the United States, including the order titled Order under Sections 362 & 365 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 265, 268): Order Suspending the Right To Introduce Certain Persons from Countries Where a Quarantinable Communicable Disease Exists issued by the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on October 13, 2020.

April 27, 2022

Read the second time and placed on the calendar