“Consumers should have full control over their private financial and medical records and Congress must offer the American people real protections,” Schakowsky said.

The House Banking Committee adopted an amendment offered by Schakowsky to the Medical Financial Privacy Protection Act, H.R. 4585. Schakowsky’s amendment ensures that information relating to reproductive health and substance abuse has enhanced protections.  The bill had already provided greater privacy protections for information relating to mental health and sexually transmitted diseases.  

H.R. 4585 would require financial institutions to obtain their customers’ consent before disclosing health information to an affiliate or non-affiliated third party and would prohibit those institutions from using health information when deciding on issuing credit to their customers.   The bill was approved by the Banking Committee.

Schakowsky was also successful in her efforts in the Government Reform Committee.  The Committee adopted her amendment to H.R. 4049, legislation to establish the Commission for the Comprehensive Study of Privacy Protection.  The amendment would ensure that “civil liberties experts” are represented on the Commission.  The Commission would present a report to the President and Congress within 18 months of the enactment of the legislation.  H.R. 4090 was approved by the Government Reform Committee.

Schakowsky is the author of the Financial Consumers’ Bill of Rights, a comprehensive bill that, in addition to giving consumers access to lower bank fees and better financial services, would provide consumers comprehensive financial privacy protections.