It would require they develop minimum security standards.
Frederick County Delegate Ken Kerr
Annapolis Md (KM) Legislators in Annapolis are working “very long days” as they get close to the end of the 2025 General Assembly session on Monday, April 7th at 12 midnight. Frederick County Delegate Ken Kerr says he and his fellow lawmakers are trying to get their bills passed in the House of Delegates, and sent over to the State Senate before Crossover Day.
“So right now, we’re trying to move as much legislation as we can as efficiently and effectively as we can through the House of Delegates in preparation for sending it over there,” says Kerr.
Crossover Day is Monday, March 17th at midnight. That’s when any bill which originated in the House of Delegates needs to cross over into the Senate if it’s to have any chance of passage, and vice versa.
Delegate Kerr says a bill he’s sponsoring would require hospitals and other health care organizations establish minimum standards to prevent cyber security or ransomware attacks. “We started working on this bill over the summer before Frederick Health Hospital had their ransomware attack,”: he says.
FHH suffered a ransomware attack in January.
“Just put in a bill that said we want you to do an inventory. Tell us what you’re doing; tell us where your plans are to address any deficiencies; and what’s your timeline and how much have to accomplished so far,” says Kerr, in a message to hospitals about what the bill wants them to do.
He says this bill, if it passes, could help hospitals prevent cyber security and ransomware attacks such as the one experienced by Frederick Health Hospital. . “It doesn’t really prescribe what the hospitals should do. But just hold them accountable that they’re doing something, and paying serious attention to this issue,” says Kerr.
A similar bill has been introduced in the State Senate sponsored by Senator Katie Fry Hester, from Howard and Montgomery Counties. “We were concerned that hospitals were not doing everything they should in order to protect themselves from cyber security attacks,” says Kerr.
A hearing on Delegate Kerr’s bill is scheduled for Monday, March 10th at 1:00 PM before the Health and Government Operations Committee.
By Kevin McManus