On June 13, the Senate passed, 95-3, the FY2001 defense appropriations bill (H.R. 4576). Prior to approving the bill, the Senate adopted a number of amendments on a range of issues.
Among those amendments was one by Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) that would prohibit the use of funds to “transfer, release, disclose, or otherwise make available to any individual or entity outside the Department of Defense for any non-national security or non-law enforcement purposes an individual’s medical records without the consent of the individual.” The Privacy Act of 1974 governs the use of an individual’s medical records by federal agencies. Noting that current law includes a “big loophole,” Sen. Boxer called for further protection: “Anyone can get your record if they decide they want to see it as they do a job performance….This is a question of people in the military having peace of mind, knowing their records are secure.” The amendment was approved by voice vote.
Last year’s defense authorization bill (P.L. 106-65) required the Secretary of Defense to issue regulations pertaining to the Department of Defense’s (DoD) policies and procedures on protecting the confidentiality of communications between a patient and a doctor with respect to sexual harassment, sexual assault, or intrafamily abuse.
Another amendment by Sen. Boxer would prohibit the use of funds for the application of dangerous pesticides in areas owned or managed by DoD that may be used by children. The amendment was adopted, 84-14.
Under the bill, breast cancer research at DoD would be level-funded at $175 million, as would ovarian cancer research at $12 million. Osteoporosis research would receive $7.5 million in FY2001. Last year, Congress appropriated $4 million for osteoporosis research, but DoD added an additional $2.5 million, as requested by the President, which brought total funding to $6.5 million.