{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.hawley.senate.gov/hawley-peters-introduce-bill-improve-and-protect-rural-hospitals-cybersecurity/", "Hawley, Peters Introduce Bill to Improve and Protect Rural Hospitals\u2019 Cybersecurity", "2023-05-11", "2023", "2023-05", "Republican", "Senate", "MO", "Josh Hawley", "H001089", "www.hawley.senate.gov", "hawley", "https://www.hawley.senate.gov/press-releases/page/", "scraper", "Today U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) \u2013 a member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) \u2013 and HSGAC Chairman Gary Peters (D-Mich.) introduced the Rural Hospital Cybersecurity Enhancement Act, new legislation that addresses the critical need for skilled cybersecurity professionals and digital security enhancement protocols in rural healthcare settings.\n\nThis legislation follows a recent HSGAC hearing that identified rural healthcare facilities as soft targets for cybercriminals. Unlike larger urban hospitals, rural hospitals often have little to no full-time cybersecurity personnel and are particularly exposed to cyberattacks.\n\n\u201cCongress must take action to shore up the ability of small-town hospitals to defend themselves from cyberattacks,\u201d said Senator Hawley. \u201cBy working to improve cybersecurity preparedness and develop a robust cybersecurity workforce in rural hospitals, we can help protect the sensitive medical and personal data of American patients and defend our national security.\u201d\n\n\u201cRansomware attacks against hospitals and health care systems that compromise sensitive medical information and disrupt patient care must be stopped. Unfortunately, small and rural hospitals often lack the resources to invest in cybersecurity defenses and staff to prevent these breaches,\u201d said Senator Peters. \u201cThis bipartisan legislation will require the federal government to ensure our most vulnerable health care providers have the necessary tools to protect patient information and provide lifesaving care even as criminal hackers continue to target their networks.\u201d\n\nThe Rural Hospital Cybersecurity Enhancement Act would:\n\nRequire the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Director to develop a comprehensive rural hospital cybersecurity workforce development strategy that, at a minimum, considers public-private partnerships, development of curricula and training resources, and policy recommendations.\n\nRequire the CISA Director to create instructional materials for rural hospitals to train staff on fundamental cybersecurity measures.\n\nRequire the Secretary of Homeland Security to report annually to HSGAC and the House Committee on Homeland Security with updates regarding the strategy and any programs that have been implemented pursuant to the strategy.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T23:55:44Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.hawley.senate.gov/hawley-peters-introduce-bill-improve-and-protect-rural-hospitals-cybersecurity/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9077130816876888, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}