Senate Committee Unanimously Advances Hawley Bill to Aid Rural Hospital Cybersecurity

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Friday, January 16, 2026
WASHINGTON— U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.)advancedhisRural Hospital Cybersecurity Enhancement Actthrough a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) committee markup. Cosponsored by Senators Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) and Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), the legislationdirectsthe Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop a comprehensive strategy to address the growing need for skilled cybersecurity professionals in rural hospitals.
Unlike larger urban hospitals, rural hospitals often have little to no full-time cybersecurity personnel and are particular targets for cyberattacks. Vulnerabilities in rural hospitals’ cybersecurity defenses can also be used as entry points to disrupt larger healthcare systems, potentially compromising the sensitive medical and personal data of hundreds of thousands of American patients at once.
TheRural Hospital Cybersecurity Enhancement Actwould require HHS to:
Read the bill texthere.

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