PSI Sci
New here? Follow the money and the votes · Not sure of your district? Find your U.S. House member · Find your state legislators

S. 3351: Protect Our Health Privacy Act

Before you vote › Federal bills

S. 3351: Protect Our Health Privacy Act

112th Congress · introduced 2012-06-27 · Health · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2012-06-27 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Sen. Franken, Al [D-MN] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Protect Our Health Privacy Act

Plain summary

Protect Our Health Privacy Act - Amends the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) to expand requirements for reports to Congress on acquisition or disclosure of unsecured protected health information in a breach to include: (1) descriptions of types of such information involved in each breach; and (2) the identity of the covered entity involved in each breach or, if the breach affected fewer than 500 individuals, the kind of covered entity involved. Revises requirements for the annual compliance report concerning informally resolved complaints of violations relating to privacy and security of health information to require: (1) a summary of the most common types of complaints resolved, (2) statements of the average amount of time between receipt of a complaint to its resolution by category and examples, (3) additional reporting of federal and state enforcement actions and priorities. Requires the Attorney General to report annually to Congress, and to publish, a study of complaints of alleged violations concerning wrongful disclosure of individually identifiable health information referred to the Department of Justice (DOJ) by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), or another state or federal agency. Includes portable media devices in guidance issued by the Secretary concerning technologies and methodologies rendering protected health information unusable by unauthorized individuals. Directs the Secretary to issue regulations requiring covered entities and their business associates to render protected health information stored on such media unusable by unauthorized individuals. Provides rules for application of regulations concerning health information privacy to use by business associates of covered entities. Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary to issue regulations to improve the safety, interoperability, and utility of health information technology systems, including: (1) a system to track the effect of health information technology on patients' health, and (2) minimum quality and risk management requirements for technology vendors. Requires promulgation of regulations by an HHS-designated agency concerning a health information technology adverse health event reporting program and database and reports by such agency on its findings to industry and policymakers.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Protect Our Health Privacy Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

AI explanation – may be wrong, check the official text

No AI explanation yet. It takes up to a minute to write and is then saved for everyone.

Limited to a few requests an hour per person.

The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

Arguments against (opponents)

Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

Alternatives

Needs sources: no published alternatives yet (for example a different bill, a law instead of an amendment, or keeping current law). We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Franken, Al [D-MN] · 0 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (3)
Resolution
A formal statement or decision by a legislative body. Simple resolutions often only express an opinion or set rules for one chamber; they do not become law.
Rulemaking
The process agencies use to write regulations that carry out laws passed by Congress or a legislature. Usually an agency publishes a proposed rule, takes public comments, then publishes a final rule.
Securities
Financial investments that can be bought and sold, such as stocks and bonds.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong112-s3351 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong112 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong112