Bill > S2169

This bill, titled the "Rural Hospital Cybersecurity Enhancement Act," mandates the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop and present a comprehensive strategy within one year to address the shortage of skilled cybersecurity professionals in rural hospitals, which are defined broadly to include various types of hospitals located in rural areas or serving specific rural needs. This strategy must be created after consulting with relevant federal agencies like the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the National Cyber Director, as well as with rural healthcare providers from different geographic regions across the country. The strategy should consider partnerships between hospitals, educational institutions, and private entities to create tailored training programs, develop cybersecurity curricula for rural educational settings, and identify challenges faced by rural hospitals and ways to overcome them. Additionally, the Secretary must provide annual briefings to Congress on the strategy's progress, any implemented programs, and their effectiveness. The bill also requires the Secretary to publish free online instructional materials for rural hospitals to train their staff on basic cybersecurity practices and to conduct an awareness campaign for these resources, all without authorizing any new funds for these activities.

Health and Social Services

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/2169/all-info