Secure Data and Privacy for Contact Tracing Act of 2020
The source supplies the latest action, but no lifecycle stage.
Latest action (16 Dec 2020): Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
What this bill does
The Secure Data and Privacy for Contact Tracing Act of 2020 would authorize the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to award grants to state, tribal, and territorial public health agencies. These grants would fund the development and implementation of digital contact tracing technology for COVID-19. The technology must meet specific requirements for voluntary use, data security, and privacy, and recipients would be disqualified from future funding if these standards are not met.
Grantees would be required to undergo independent security assessments and develop plans outlining how the technology integrates with existing contact tracing efforts, ensures interoperability, and limits data access. The bill would apply federal privacy standards, similar to those for health care providers, to this contact tracing technology. It explicitly prohibits using data collected by this technology for legal proceedings or immigration enforcement. The Government Accountability Office would be tasked with evaluating the program.
This bill was introduced in the Senate in December 2020 and has been referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. No further action has been taken on it since its introduction.
Plain-English summary generated by Bill100 AI from the official record. Always verify against the source below.
Official summary
Secure Data and Privacy for Contact Tracing Act of 2020
This bill requires the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to award grants to public health agencies in states, tribes, and territories to incorporate digital contact tracing technology in COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) contact tracing programs.
This technology must meet requirements with respect to contact tracing functions, data security and privacy, and voluntary use. Grantees that develop or procure technology that does not meet these requirements lose eligibility for this funding and future funding for COVID-19 contact tracing technology.
Furthermore, as a condition of receiving funding, grantees must (1) undertake an independent security assessment, and (2) develop a plan that delineates how the technology augments existing COVID-19 contact tracing and response efforts and addresses interoperability and protections to limit access to the data.
In addition, the bill expressly applies federal privacy standards for the use and disclosure of personal health information by health care providers, health plans, health clearinghouses, and their business associates to contact tracing technology and its use. Current law provides an exception to these standards for personal health information used by, or disclosed to, a public health authority that is legally authorized to collect the information. The bill also prohibits the use of data derived from the contact tracing technology in legal proceedings or for immigration enforcement.
The Government Accountability Office must evaluate this program.
Timeline
16 Dec 2020
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Common questions
- What does S. 5027 do?
- The Secure Data and Privacy for Contact Tracing Act of 2020 would authorize the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to award grants to state, tribal, and territorial public health agencies. These grants would fund the development and implementation of digital contact tracing technology for COVID-19. The technology must meet specific requirements for voluntary use, data security, and privacy, and recipients would be disqualified from future funding if these standards are not met. Grantees would be required to undergo independent security assessments and develop plans outlining how the technology integrates with existing contact tracing efforts, ensures interoperability, and limits data access. The bill would apply federal privacy standards, similar to those for health care providers, to this contact tracing technology. It explicitly prohibits using data collected by this technology for legal proceedings or immigration enforcement. The Government Accountability Office would be tasked with evaluating the program. This bill was introduced in the Senate in December 2020 and has been referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. No further action has been taken on it since its introduction.
- Has S. 5027 become law?
- The source does not supply a confirmed lifecycle stage for S. 5027. Check the latest action and official source below.
- Who sponsored S. 5027?
- S. 5027 was sponsored by Sen. Schatz, Brian [D-HI] (D-HI), with 1 cosponsor.
- What's the latest action on S. 5027?
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (16 Dec 2020).
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