House Democrats Demand Protection of Reproductive Health Information Amid Escalating Threats

House Representatives Jan Schakowsky, Diana DeGette, and Sara Jacobs have led a group of 31 Democrats in a letter to Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., urging the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to uphold protections for private health information related to reproductive care. This move comes in response to the June 2025 decision by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, which vacated most provisions of the HIPAA Privacy Rule to Support Reproductive Health Care Privacy. The lawmakers express concern that emerging threats to reproductive health data privacy pose serious risks to patient confidentiality and deter individuals from accessing life-saving services.

Key Takeaways:

• 31 House Democrats signed a letter to Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., urging the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to uphold protections for private health information related to reproductive care.
• The letter was signed by Representatives Jan Schakowsky, Diana DeGette, Sara Jacobs, and 29 other members, including Representatives Donald Beyer, Julia Brownley, Sean Casten, Judy Chu, and others.
• The Purl decision, issued in June 2025, effectively eliminated restrictions on protected health information disclosures and attestation requirements, leaving patients vulnerable to disclosures of their medical records.
• In the year following the Dobbs decision, over 200 women faced criminal charges for conduct related to pregnancy, pregnancy loss, or birth, with 22 women being criminally prosecuted for experiencing a pregnancy loss.
• The HHS Office for Civil Rights issued a final rule in 2024 to modify and strengthen the HIPAA Privacy Rule, prohibiting covered health care providers from sharing protected health information to investigate or impose liability on individuals for accessing reproductive health care.
• The letter emphasized the need for HHS to defend patients and providers, mitigate legal uncertainty, and assert agency authority to protect sensitive health information.

Statistics:

• Over 200 women faced criminal charges for conduct related to pregnancy, pregnancy loss, or birth in the year following the Dobbs decision.
• 22 women were criminally prosecuted for experiencing a pregnancy loss in the same time period.
• 31 House Democrats signed the letter to Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Sources:

• Purl v. Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas
• Letter to Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. from Representatives Jan Schakowsky, Diana DeGette, and Sara Jacobs, and 29 other House Democrats.