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IT bills introduced in Congress

E-Health Trend Watch, August 18, 2006

A half-dozen IT security bills have been introduced in Congress-four in the House of Representatives and two in the Senate. The bills are in response to the breach that occurred when a laptop containing the personal data of veterans and military personnel was stolen from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

A bill introduced on June 14 by Senator Daniel Akaka (D-HI) would establish federal penalties of up to one year in prison or up to a $100,000 fine for anyone who knowingly and without authorization views, uses, downloads, or removes identification from a federal database. Akaka named the bill the Data Theft Prevention Act.

Other bills include the

· Veterans Identity Protection Act, sponsored by Representative Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), which establishes a Department of Identity Protection

· Social Security Number Online Protection Act, sponsored by Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY), which restricts public display on the Internet of the last four digits of Social Security numbers by state and local governments

· Notification of Risk to Personal Data Act, sponsored by Representative Tom Lantos (D-CA.), which requires federal agencies and persons engaged in interstate commerce to disclose any unauthorized acquisition of those data

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