Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., has teamed up with Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Penn., and Andy Kim, D-N.J. to file the Healthcare Cybersecurity Act, a bipartisan measure seeking to protect Americans’ healthcare information in the cyber domain.
The proposed legislation follows a counterpart bipartisan Senate bill introduced by Sens. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., Todd Young, R-Ind., and Angus King, I-Maine in July, Crow’s office said Wednesday.
The office noted that a recent ransomware attack on the Change Healthcare payment platform indicates the current lack of cybersecurity preparation and training in the healthcare sector, which had over 133 million patient records exposed to cyberattacks in 2023.
The House bill calls for the collaboration of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the Department of Health and Human Services in cybersecurity improvements and mobilizing resources for non-federal agencies to identify cyber vulnerabilities and formulate defense steps. It seeks to create a special CISA liaison that will collaborate with HHS during cybersecurity cases.
“I’m leading this effort to bolster cyber defenses and protect some of Americans’ most personal and sensitive information from malicious actors,” said Crow, who also spearheaded the bipartisan bill passed during the last Congress to strengthen the Small Business Administration’s cybersecurity operations.