Downriver Today

State Representative Jamie Thompson has introduced a bill aimed at protecting Michigan residents from potential threats posed by foreign entities. The proposed legislation, House Bill 4242, mandates that healthcare providers in Michigan use electronic health record technology that is stored physically within the United States or Canada.

Thompson emphasized the importance of safeguarding sensitive information: “Protecting our constituents’ health records, data and other sensitive information from bad actors and our country’s adversaries is extremely important,” said Thompson, who represents Brownstown. She noted the urgency of updating laws due to increasing cyber-attacks and breaches, which have exposed data and medical information of thousands in Michigan.

The Office for Civil Rights is currently investigating 840 breaches involving unsecured protected health information affecting 500 or more individuals. Thompson warned about the potential consequences if such data were accessed by foreign adversaries: “If these attacks come from one of our foreign adversaries and this data ended up in their hands, the results could be tragic.”

In addition to House Bill 4242, other bills in the legislative package aim to prevent foreign entities from accessing sensitive information. These measures include blocking prohibited apps on government devices, prohibiting public bodies from entering agreements with concerning foreign countries, ensuring economic incentives are not awarded to these entities, and preventing them from purchasing land near critical infrastructure.

The package targets entities on the federal watch list including China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela under Nicolas Maduro's regime, and Syria. The series of bills (House Bills 4233-42) have been referred to the House Government Operations Committee for further consideration.