Indivisible letter on My Health My Data to Civil Rights and Judiciary committee, January 30/31

Sent to Washington’s House Civil Rights & Judiciary Committee on January 30 (with an update on January 31) by Washington Indivisible Network on behalf of the signing groups

Subject: Please advance a strong version of My Health My Data on Friday

Dear Chair Hansen, Ranking Member Walsh, and Members of the Civil Rights & Judiciary Committee,

The privacy of our health data is a civil rights issue that affects all of us, and our families, in our daily lives. The Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v Wade increases the urgency of passing strong legislation to protect access to reproductive health care and gender-affirming services.

Rep. Vandana Slatter’s My Health My Data bill aligns well with the principles we outlined in our January 2022 letter to you and the Civil Rights & Judiciary Committee:

• My Health My Data requires affirmative consent (opt-in) for collecting or sharing health data. As your colleague Rep. Brandy Donaghy says, Real Electronic Data Protection Is Opt In.
• By treating violations of the bill as violations of the Consumer Protection Act, My Health My Data combines state enforcement with a strong private right of action.
• My Health My Data’s prohibitions on selling health data and using geofencing at reproductive and gender affirming health care facilities protect people, not corporations.

Healthcare providers, patients, reproductive rights, and gender justice organizations all supported this bill at its hearing last week. Don’t believe industries that make money by exploiting our data when they claim that their profits are more important than protecting your constituents. Please stand up to their lobbying, resist efforts to narrow My Health My Data’s definition of consumer health data, and advance a strong version of My Health My Data at your executive session on Friday.

Sincerely,

Groups from the Washington Indivisible Network, including:(alphabetically)

Indivisible Bellingham
Indivisible Greater Vancouver
Indivisible Eastside
Indivisible Plus Washington
Indivisible Skagit
Indivisible Tacoma
Indivisible Washington’s 8th Congressional District
Indivisible Whidbey
Lower Columbia Indivisible
North Kitsap Indivisible
Olympia Indivisible
Seattle Indivisible
Snohomish County Indivisible
Wallingford Indivisible