To amend the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to consider certain recognized security practices of covered entities and business associates when making certain determinations, and for other purposes.
Latest action · Jan 5, 2021 Became Public Law No: 116-321.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedJul 31, 2020
- Passed HouseDec 9, 2020
- Passed SenateDec 19, 2020
- To the PresidentDec 24, 2020
- Became lawJan 5, 2021Public Law 116-321
Summary
This bill addresses health information technology provisions concerning cybersecurity practices and information blocking.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) may reduce fines and penalties for violations of certain federal privacy standards for health information if an entity subject to those standards has adopted particular cybersecurity practices.
This bill also authorizes HHS's Office of the Inspector General to obtain information, assistance, and other support from federal agencies when investigating claims of information blocking by developers of, or entities offering, health information technologies.
Information blocking refers to a practice that is likely to interfere with, prevent, or materially discourage access, exchange, or use of electronic health information, such as the imposition of fees that make exchanging this information cost prohibitive.
Cosponsors 2
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Jul 31, 2020 to Dec 7, 2020; 1 is an original cosponsor, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-VT | Peter Welch | Original | Jul 31, 2020 |
| R-TX | Van Taylor | Dec 7, 2020 |
Committees 1
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| House | Energy and Commerce Committee | Referred Jul 31, 2020 |
Actions 14
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Jan 5, 2021Signed by President.
- Jan 5, 2021Became Public Law No: 116-321.
- Dec 24, 2020Presented to President.
- Dec 20, 2020Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Dec 19, 2020Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S7853)
- Dec 10, 2020Received in the Senate, read twice.
- Dec 9, 2020Mr. Pallone moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- Dec 9, 2020Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H7088-7092)
- Dec 9, 2020DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 7898.
- Dec 9, 2020Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H7088-7089)
- Dec 9, 2020Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- Dec 9, 2020The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection.
- Jul 31, 2020Introduced in House
- Jul 31, 2020Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
In the Congressional Record 2
Days the Record’s own index lists this bill, newest first, with the pages and the members it names. Pages starting H are the House, S the Senate, E Extensions of Remarks.
| Where | In the Record | Members | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senate | Debate and remarks S7853 | Cory Gardner R-CO | Dec 19, 2020 |
| House | Debate and remarks H7088–H7092Text printed H7088 | Frank Pallone, Jr. D-NJ, Greg Walden R-OR, Michael C. Burgess R-TX | Dec 9, 2020 |
Research
What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.
Constitutional authority
The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 166, no. 136, July 31, 2020, page H4214.
Related bills 3
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR 19 | Lower Costs, More Cures Act of 2019 | Related bill | Dec 19, 2019 |
| S 1895 | Lower Health Care Costs Act | Related bill | Jul 8, 2019 |
| HR 2296 | More Efficient Tools to Realize Information for Consumers Act | Related bill | Sep 24, 2019 |
Titles 2
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- To amend title XXX of the Public Health Services Act to provide for a technical correction to provide the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Service certain authorities with respect to investigations of information blocking, and for other purposes.
- Official Titles as Amended by House
- To amend the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to consider certain recognized security practices of covered entities and business associates when making certain determinations, and for other purposes.
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Health.
Text 4
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- —Enrolled Bill
- Dec 10, 2020Received in Senate
- Dec 9, 2020Engrossed in House
- Jul 31, 2020Introduced in House
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
