PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.

Medical Device Cybersecurity Act of 2017

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Official summary

Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Jul 27, 2017

Medical Device Cybersecurity Act of 2017

This bill amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in coordination with others, to create a cybersecurity report card for devices that have network or Internet connectivity, connect to an external drive or external media, or have any other cyber capability.

Report cards must contain specified information, including: (1) information pertaining to the essential elements described in the most recent version of the Manufacturer Disclosure Statement for Medical Device Security, (2) a cybersecurity risk assessment conducted by the manufacturer or third party, and (3) whether the device is capable of being accessed remotely.

Showing the opening paragraphs of the official summary.

Read full official summaryShow less

A cyber device manufacturer must include a report card in any premarket notification or application for premarket approval. The FDA shall provide a copy of a device's report card if requested by a health care industry entity or an entity with a valid interest in the report card. 

The bill establishes procedures, including notifications to providers and patients, for manufacturers when cyber devices are remotely accessed or no longer going to be sold. Fixes and updates to cyber devices must be free of charge for specified time periods.

The bill expands the responsibilities of the Department of Homeland Security's Industrial Control Systems Cyber Emergency Response Team to include investigating cybersecurity vulnerabilities of cyber devices that may cause harm to human life or the significant misuse of personal health information, and coordinating device-specific responses.

Read the summary on Congress.gov
PlainBill analysis is coming later. This page presents official source data. We have not yet published a PlainBill explanation for this bill.

Who introduced it

Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT] · D–CT

Committees

  • Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
0 cosponsorship records, including any withdrawals

    Actions

    A procedural vote is different from passage. Passage in one chamber does not establish enactment. Explore the glossary.

    1. Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

    2. Introduced in Senate

    Bill text & related measures

    Text links open the official source. We currently store references to these documents.

    Related bills identified by Congress.gov

    No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.

    Source last updated: Aug 11, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.

    Explore the bill from different angles

    Choose a perspective, copy a prompt, and paste it into your preferred AI. Each prompt includes the bill version and available official source links, and asks for counterarguments as well as supporting evidence.

    Neutral evidence review

    Objective

    Analyze S.1656 as objectively as possible. Explain its main provisions, who would be affected, possible benefits and harms, implementation, exceptions, and uncertainties. Present the strongest arguments for and against it, and identify evidence needed to assess its public impact.

    View full prompt & sources
    Fairness and public impact

    Progressive lens

    Examine S.1656 through a progressive lens, focusing on fairness, access, economic inequality, and effects on vulnerable communities. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and distinguish stated goals from demonstrated outcomes.

    View full prompt & sources
    Institutions and government scope

    Conservative lens

    Examine S.1656 through a conservative lens, focusing on fiscal responsibility, institutional stability, federalism, and the scope of government. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and any provisions that challenge this perspective.

    View full prompt & sources
    Individual rights and government power

    Liberty lens

    Examine S.1656 through a civil-liberties and limited-government lens. Consider individual rights, privacy, voluntary choice, accountability, and government power. Explain tradeoffs, possible safeguards, and the strongest counterarguments without assuming the proposal is beneficial or harmful.

    View full prompt & sources