To amend the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to consider certain recognized security practices of covered entities and business associates when making certain determinations, and for other purposes.
Public Law 116-321 · H.R. 7898 · 116th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Donald Trump (R) on Jan 5, 2021 · Health
Sponsor: Rep. Michael Burgess (R-TX-26)
Cosponsors (2): Rep. Peter Welch, Rep. Van Taylor
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
This bill addresses health information technology provisions concerning cybersecurity practices and information blocking.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) may reduce fines and penalties for violations of certain federal privacy standards for health information if an entity subject to those standards has adopted particular cybersecurity practices.
This bill also authorizes HHS's Office of the Inspector General to obtain information, assistance, and other support from federal agencies when investigating claims of information blocking by developers of, or entities offering, health information technologies.
Information blocking refers to a practice that is likely to interfere with, prevent, or materially discourage access, exchange, or use of electronic health information, such as the imposition of fees that make exchanging this information cost prohibitive.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Related bills
3 bills the Library of Congress relates to this one.
H.R. 19Related bill
Lower Costs, More Cures Act of 2019
H.R. 2296Related bill
More Efficient Tools to Realize Information for Consumers Act
S. 1895Related bill
Lower Health Care Costs Act
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 14 actions.
- Jan 5, 2021Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 116-321.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Dec 24, 2020FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Dec 20, 2020FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Dec 19, 2020FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- Dec 10, 2020CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate, read twice.
- Dec 9, 2020FloorFloor · The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 7898.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Pallone moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- Jul 31, 2020CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in House
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
No amendments to this bill are on record.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.