VA secretary calls for stronger penalties for civil service
HIPAA Weekly Advisor, June 19, 2006
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HIPAA should be a model for tougher penalties for federal employees who mishandle or misuse information, according to R. James Nicholson, secretary of veterans affairs (VA).
Nicholson's testimony before the House Government Reform Committee on June 8 came in the wake of a data breach that left vulnerable the personal information of more than 26 million veterans after a thief stole a government laptop from a VA employee's home. The employee reportedly took the laptop home in violation of VA policy.
In his testimony, Nicholson said that disciplining government employees is currently too difficult. Congress should consider setting up penalties-such as fines-that parallel HIPAA for federal employees who carelessly or negligently handle sensitive information, the The Washington Postreports.
Click here to read the Post article.
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