Data breach bill stalls
Hardly a week goes by without another data breach affecting healthcare, but congressional lawmakers haven't advanced a data breach notification bill.
The Data Security and Breach Notification Act of 2015, introduced by House Energy and Commerce Committee Vice Chair Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.), calls for a national standard for the way companies protect consumers' personal information and respond to data breaches. The bill would require entities that collect and store consumers' personal information to keep such data secure and to notify individuals if the data are breached.
According to Roll Call, the bill has stalled amid debate over its reach and the type of data included. Democrats criticized the measure for its potential to pre-empt state laws. Some have said that existing state laws are stronger and more comprehensive than what the bill proposes.
A Federal Trade Commission official at a House subcommittee hearing in March raised concerns that the legislation does not include protections for consumer health information.
Blackburn and other Republican lawmakers said the bill was designed to be narrow in scope to avoid issues in the Senate.
According to Roll Call, legislative staff believe they can reach a deal to include more medical record protections in the bill.
Editor
Editor Beth earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and master’s in health communication. She has worked in hospital, academic and publishing settings over the past 20 years. Beth joined TriMed in 2005, as editor of CMIO and Clinical Innovation + Technology. When not covering all things related to health IT, she spends time with her husband and three children.