SHIELD Act

Securing the Homeland from International Entrants with Life-threatening Diseases Act or the SHIELD Act

This bill suspends for one year the admission and parole into the United States of certain categories of individuals who are from or were recently in a country that fails to meet certain criteria related to COVID-19.

This restriction applies to certain individuals entering the United States from Mexico or Canada through a port of entry or U.S. Border Patrol station and (1) whose country of origin has not been categorized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a low-risk country for COVID-19, or (2) who was in such a country at any time in the 30 days before arriving in the United States.

The bill exempts certain individuals from this restriction, including U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents, members of the Armed Forces, and persons from a foreign country who arrive at a designated port of entry with valid travel documents.

The Department of Homeland Security shall transport barred individuals to a foreign location, such as an individual's country of origin, to the extent practicable.

The SHIELD Act, also known as Bill 117 hr 4416, is a piece of legislation introduced in the US Congress aimed at protecting US elections from foreign interference. The act stands for the "Stopping Harmful Interference in Elections for a Lasting Democracy Act" and was introduced by Representative Zoe Lofgren.

The main purpose of the SHIELD Act is to increase transparency in political advertising, strengthen the security of election infrastructure, and deter foreign interference in US elections. The act requires political campaigns to disclose any foreign contacts seeking to influence the election and prohibits foreign nationals from participating in US elections.

Additionally, the SHIELD Act requires online platforms to maintain records of political advertisements and make them available to the public. It also provides funding for states to upgrade their election infrastructure and improve cybersecurity measures. Overall, the SHIELD Act aims to safeguard the integrity of US elections and ensure that foreign entities do not have undue influence on the democratic process. It has received bipartisan support in Congress and is seen as a crucial step in protecting the US electoral system from outside interference.