Veteran DATA Act

The Veteran Data Accountability for Third-party Actors Act aims to strengthen the protection of veterans' personal information handled by Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) contractors. It specifically prohibits the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from entering into any contract that permits a contractor to sell or disclose for consideration sensitive personal information to other entities. Within one year of enactment, the bill requires the VA Secretary to ensure that all existing and new "covered contracts" include a clause explicitly prohibiting the monetization, sale, or misuse of "covered information" by contractors, subcontractors, or affiliates. This "covered information" encompasses protected health information and personally identifiable information, including anonymized data, as defined by various privacy laws. Furthermore, the Secretary must issue a directive or policy providing guidance to VA employees and contractors on how to identify and prevent the monetization, sale, or misuse of this sensitive data. A report detailing the implemented contract clauses, guidance, and other protective actions must be submitted to appropriate congressional committees within the same one-year timeframe.