Healthcare Cybersecurity Act of 2022
Bill: H.R.8806 | Sponsor: Rep. Crow, Jason (D-CO)
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Healthcare Cybersecurity Act of 2022
This bill requires the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to undertake activities to improve the cybersecurity of the health care and public health sector.
Specifically, CISA must collaborate with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to improve cybersecurity in that sector. This includes making resources, including cyber-threat indicators and appropriate defense measures, available to federal and nonfederal entities that receive information through HHS programs.
In addition, CISA must provide training on cybersecurity risks and mitigation strategies to owners of assets in the health care and public health sector.
CISA must also conduct a study on cybersecurity risks in the health care and public health sector. The study must address, among other topics, the impact of the risks on rural entities and small- and medium-sized entities, cybersecurity workforce shortages in the sector, and challenges related to the COVID-19 emergency.

To enhance the cybersecurity of the Healthcare and Public Health 
                                Sector.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Healthcare Cybersecurity Act of 
2022''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act--
            (1) the term ``Agency'' means the Cybersecurity and 
        Infrastructure Security Agency;
            (2) the term ``Cybersecurity State Coordinator'' means a 
        Cybersecurity State Coordinator appointed under section 2217(a) 
        of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 665c(a));
            (3) the term ``Department'' means the Department of Health 
        and Human Services;
            (4) the term ``Director'' means the Director of the Agency;
            (5) the term ``Healthcare and Public Health Sector'' means 
        the Healthcare and Public Health sector, as identified in 
        Presidential Policy Directive 21 (February 12, 2013; relating 
        to critical infrastructure security and resilience);
            (6) the term ``Information Sharing and Analysis 
        Organizations'' has the meaning given that term in section 2222 
        of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 671); and
            (7) the term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of Health 
        and Human Services.

SEC. 3. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Healthcare and Public Health Sector assets are 
        increasingly the targets of malicious cyberattacks, which 
        result not only in data breaches, but also increased healthcare 
        delivery costs, and can ultimately affect patient health 
        outcomes.
            (2) Data reported to the Department shows that almost every 
        month in 2020, more than 1,000,000 people were affected by data 
        breaches at healthcare organizations. Cyberattacks on 
        healthcare facilities rose 55 percent in 2020, and these 
        attacks also resulted in a 16 percent increase in the average 
        cost of recovering a patient record in 2020, as compared to 
        2019.
            (3) According to data from the Office for Civil Rights of 
        the Department, health information breaches have increased 
        since 2016, and in 2020 alone, the Department reported 663 
        breaches on covered entities, as defined under the Health 
        Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (Public 
        Law 104-191), affecting more than 500 people, with over 
        33,000,000 total people affected by health information 
        breaches.

SEC. 4. AGENCY COLLABORATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT.

    (a) In General.--The Agency shall collaborate with the Department, 
including by entering into an agreement, as appropriate, to improve 
cybersecurity in the Healthcare and Public Health Sector.
    (b) Assistance.--
            (1) In general.--The Agency shall coordinate with and make 
        resources available to Information Sharing and Analysis 
        Organizations, information sharing and analysis centers, and 
        non-Federal entities that are receiving information shared 
        through programs managed by the Department.
            (2) Scope.--The coordination under paragraph (1) shall 
        include--
                    (A) developing products specific to the needs of 
                Healthcare and Public Health Sector entities; and
                    (B) sharing information relating to cyber threat 
                indicators and appropriate defensive measures.

SEC. 5. TRAINING FOR HEALTHCARE EXPERTS.

    The Cyber Security Advisors and Cybersecurity State Coordinators of 
the Agency shall, in coordination, as appropriate, with private sector 
healthcare experts, provide training to Healthcare and Public Health 
Sector asset owners and operators on--
            (1) cybersecurity risks to the Healthcare and Public Health 
        Sector and assets within the sector; and
            (2) ways to mitigate the risks to information systems in 
        the Healthcare and Public Health Sector.

SEC. 6. SECTOR-SPECIFIC STUDY AND REPORT.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Director, in consultation with the Secretary, shall 
conduct a study and issue a report, which shall include the following 
elements:
            (1) An analysis of how identified cybersecurity risks 
        specifically impact Healthcare and Public Health Sector assets, 
        including the impact on rural and small and medium-sized 
        Healthcare and Public Health Sector assets.
            (2) An evaluation of the challenges Healthcare and Public 
        Health Sector assets face in--
                    (A) securing--
                            (i) updated information systems owned, 
                        leased, or relied upon by Healthcare and Public 
                        Health Sector assets;
                            (ii) medical devices or equipment owned, 
                        leased, or relied upon by Healthcare and Public 
                        Health Sector assets, which shall include an 
                        analysis of the threat landscape and 
                        cybersecurity vulnerabilities of such medical 
                        devices or equipment; and
                            (iii) sensitive patient health information 
                        and electronic health records;
                    (B) implementing cybersecurity protocols; and
                    (C) responding to data breaches or cybersecurity 
                attacks, including the impact on patient access to 
                care, quality of patient care, timeliness of health 
                care delivery, and health outcomes.
            (3) An evaluation of best practices for the deployment of 
        trained Cyber Security Advisors and Cybersecurity State 
        Coordinators of the Agency into Healthcare and Public Health 
        Sector assets before, during, and after data breaches or 
        cybersecurity attacks.
            (4) An assessment of relevant Healthcare and Public Health 
        Sector cybersecurity workforce shortages, including--
                    (A) training, recruitment, and retention issues; 
                and
                    (B) recommendations for how to address these 
                shortages and issues, particularly at rural and small 
                and medium-sized Healthcare and Public Health Sector 
                assets.
            (5) An identification of cybersecurity challenges related 
        to or brought on by the public health emergency declared by the 
        Secretary under section 319 of the Public Health Service Act 
        (42 U.S.C. 247d) on January 27, 2020, with respect to COVID-19.
            (6) An evaluation of the most accessible and timely ways 
        for the Agency and the Department to communicate and deploy 
        cybersecurity recommendations and tools to Healthcare and 
        Public Health Sector assets.
    (b) Report Transmittal.--Not later than 60 days after completing 
the study and report required under subsection (a), the Director shall 
present the completed report to the Secretary, which the Secretary may, 
in consultation with the Director, consult when updating the Healthcare 
and Public Health Sector Specific Plan of the Secretary.
    (c) Congressional Briefing.--Not later than 120 days after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Director, in consultation with the 
Secretary, as appropriate, shall provide a briefing on the status of 
the study and report required under subsection (a) to--
            (1) the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 
        and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 
        of the Senate; and
            (2) the Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Committee 
        on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives.
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