WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) announced that their Strengthening VA Cybersecurity Act passed the Senate, after previously passing the House, and now heads to President Biden’s desk for signature. This bipartisan legislation will protect veterans’ personal information by requiring the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to obtain an independent cybersecurity assessment of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) information systems, and submit to Congress a plan to address the cybersecurity weaknesses found in the assessment. This bill has been endorsed by AMVETS and the Paralyzed Veterans of America. 

“The VA is the largest integrated health care system in the United States, providing care to millions of veterans. But a lack of key preparedness and inadequate budget management in cybersecurity has left many of our veterans vulnerable to malicious cyberattacks,” said Senator Blackburn. “This bipartisan legislation is a critical component of the VA’s modernization and security enhancement, and I’m pleased it’s headed to the President’s desk.”  

“We must do everything we can to protect our veterans’ personal information and medical records,” said Senator Rosen. “I’m glad Congress has passed our bipartisan legislation to protect the sensitive data for veterans across Nevada and our country, and I look forward to it becoming law soon.”

“VA is the largest integrated health care network in the United States and it provides care and benefits to millions of veterans,” said Heather Ansley, Associate Executive Director of Government Relations at Paralyzed Veterans of America. “A greater percentage of veterans’ personal and medical information has been digitalized in recent years and we hope this bill will help keep their information safer.”