Bill Text: PA HR34 | 2009-2010 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Establishing a select committee to investigate and review the policies, procedures and practices in place by the various Commonwealth agencies, authorities, boards, commissions, councils, departments and offices and the entities they license or regulate to protect the personal health, financial and other sensitive data of the citizens of this Commonwealth.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-09-20 - Removed from table [HR34 Detail]

Download: Pennsylvania-2009-HR34-Introduced.html

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PRINTER'S NO. 162
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No. 34 Session of2009
INTRODUCED BY PRESTON, GODSHALL, BRENNAN, KORTZ, BAKER, BARRAR, BEYER, BOYD, CALTAGIRONE, FAIRCHILD, GEORGE, GROVE, KIRKLAND, KOTIK, MILNE, SIPTROTH, SOLOBAY, VULAKOVICH AND WALKO, FEBRUARY 2, 2009
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FEBRUARY 2, 2009
A RESOLUTION
Establishing a select committee to investigate and review the
policies, procedures and practices in place by the various
Commonwealth agencies, authorities, boards, commissions,
councils, departments and offices and the entities they
license or regulate to protect the personal health, financial
and other sensitive data of the citizens of this
Commonwealth.
WHEREAS, Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes
in this nation, causing more than $2 billion in losses to
consumers, businesses and government bodies in this
Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, The General Assembly is committed to the protection
of the personal health, financial and other sensitive data of
the residents of this Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, The dramatic increase in computer interconnectivity
and Internet usage are changing the way this Commonwealth and
this nation are communicating and conducting business; and
WHEREAS, Without proper safeguards, this interconnectivity
poses tremendous risks that make it easier for individuals and
groups to gain access to improperly protected systems within
Commonwealth agencies, authorities, boards, commissions,
councils, departments and offices and the entities they license
or regulate; and
WHEREAS, Those agencies, authorities, boards, commissions,
councils, departments and offices and the entities they license
or regulate have critical facilities that support the
processing, storage and transmission of personal health,
financial and other sensitive data; and
WHEREAS, The public's trust and confidence that those
agencies, authorities, boards, commissions, councils,
departments and offices and the entities they license or
regulate are protecting personal health, financial and other
sensitive data is critical to carrying out the mission and laws
of this Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, Potential information security weaknesses within
those agencies, authorities, boards, commissions, councils,
departments and offices and the entities they license or
regulate can place critical State operations and programs at
risk for disruption, fraud and inappropriate disclosure of
health, financial and other sensitive data; and
WHEREAS, HR 70 of the 2007-2008 legislative session, adopted
March 21, 2007, established a select committee to investigate
and review policies, procedures and practices to determine if
the appropriate and necessary information security is in place
in the Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, The select committee submitted a report of its
findings and recommendations to the House of Representatives on
November 24, 2008; and
WHEREAS, The select committee recommended that the House of
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Representatives extend the authority of the select committee for
the 2009-2010 legislative session to further investigate and
review the policies, procedures and practices currently in place
in various Commonwealth agencies, authorities, boards,
commissions, councils, departments and offices and the entities
they license or regulate to protect personal health, financial
and other sensitive data of the citizens of this Commonwealth;
therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives establish a
select committee to investigate and review the policies,
procedures and practices in place by the various Commonwealth
agencies, authorities, boards, commissions, councils,
departments and offices and the entities they license or
regulate to determine if they have appropriate and necessary
information security in place to:
(1) protect their information and information systems
from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption,
modification or destruction;
(2) protect the confidentiality, integrity and
availability of that information and their information
systems;
(3) meet industry, public and private sector and Federal
best practices;
(4) meet all Federal and State laws and rules and
regulations;
(5) determine if authority has been properly delegated
to appropriate personnel in order to ensure compliance with
any information security programs and all Federal and State
laws;
(6) conduct regular risk assessments to assess and
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adjust any information security programs to meet current
threats;
(7) periodically test and evaluate information security
controls and techniques; and
(8) ensure that information security programs and all
Federal and State laws and regulations are effectively
implemented;
and be it further
RESOLVED, That the select committee consist of 30 members of
the House of Representatives, 17 members from the majority party
and 13 members from the minority party; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the Speaker of the House of Representatives
appoint 17 members of the House of Representatives, including
the chairman of the select committee, from the Consumer Affairs
Committee, the Commerce Committee, the Judiciary Committee, the
State Government Committee and the Intergovernmental Affairs
Committee; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the Minority Leader of the House of
Representatives appoint 13 members of the House of
Representatives from the Consumer Affairs Committee, the
Commerce Committee, the Judiciary Committee, the State
Government Committee and the Intergovernmental Affairs
Committee; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the select committee hold hearings, take
testimony and make its investigation at such places as it deems
necessary in this Commonwealth; and be it further
RESOLVED, That if the select committee determines that
testimony it is about to receive is of a confidential nature or
would disclose practices which, if made public, may compromise
security measures already in place or which may be put in place
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in the future, the select committee be permitted to close the
hearing to the public, but only for the duration of such
confidential or security sensitive testimony; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the ordinary and reasonable expenses incurred
by the select committee be paid from accounts under the control
of the Chief Clerk; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the select committee submit a report of its
findings together with its recommendations for any appropriate
legislation or other action to the House of Representatives not
later than November 30, 2010.
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