Privacy legislation targets health data thieves

In response to the theft of data from the VA system, legislators have introduced several new bills that would impose penalties designed to discourage identity theft. Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-HI) introduced legislation last week that would make improperly "viewing, using, downloading or removing" personal data, including health data, from a federal database a crime. Last week, Rep. Tom Lantos (D-CA), introduced a bill that requires federal officials to notify victims of any "unauthorized procurement of electronic data."

 - see this article from iHealthbeat