Rep. Bonamici Questions Gap in College Students' Medical Privacy

Press Release

Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01) today questioned a gap in current federal law that appears to inadequately protect the privacy of medical records of college students.

In a letter sent to the U.S. Department of Education, Congresswoman Bonamici asked for clarification about whether current federal law permits sexual assault victims' medical and therapy records to be released as part of a student's education record.

"Campus sexual assault is a serious issue," Congresswoman Bonamici said. "I am troubled that there appears to be a loophole in federal privacy law that allows the personal and private conversations a student has after a traumatic experience to be released by a university under the laws governing educational records. Students who seek treatment on campus deserve the same level of privacy as other patients, whose medical records are protected under federal health law."

Congresswoman Bonamici is a member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, which has jurisdiction over the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.

"I plan to work with the Department of Education to help address this apparent loophole in federal law," Congresswoman Bonamici said. "We must create a safe environment for students to report and seek treatment for sexual assault. Making sure that on-campus treatment will be kept confidential is an important step toward addressing campus sexual assault."

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