Tom Harkin: “I rise to support the increase in funding for the Office of Civil Rights at the Department of Health and Human Services.…”

“I rise to support the increase in funding for the Office of Civil Rights at the Department of Health and Human Services. The Office of Civil Rights (OCR) enforces civil rights laws in health and human services settings. OCR oversees hospitals, managed care organizations, nursing homes, social service agencies--literally any state, local, or private agency that receives HHS funding, to ensure compliance with civil rights laws. In the next year, OCR will be responsible for enforcing several initiatives of real importance to me and to health care consumers across America. First, OCR will be responsible for enforcing the landmark health information privacy regulations. These regulations will provide consumers with protections against the inappropriate disclosure of their health information. Indeed, Americans are concerned about who gets to see and use their personal medical information. Privacy is the first defense against discrimination on the basis of health status--an issue I know a lot about through my work on the Americans with Disabilities Act. One of OCR'S other top priorities in the coming year is to enforce the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by working with states and advocates to develop programs to enable people with disabilities to live in community-based settings, as required by the Supreme Court's Olmstead decision.”