For those who are unfamiliar, contact tracing is the process of finding and contacting someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, reaching out to those who may have been exposed to that patient, and making sure those individuals are quarantined or monitored. As you can imagine, this is an incredibly laborious process. However, its importance cannot be understated. As public health officials have said, increased testing and contact tracing are the key to containing this virus and better monitoring its spread.

That said, the TRACE Act as it stands is a concerning solution. This bill seeks to provide $100 billion to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants for “diagnostic testing for COVID-19, to trace and monitor the contacts of infected individuals, and to support the quarantine of such contacts, through…testing individuals and providing [them] with services related to testing and quarantine at their residences.” While this language may seem honest and pure, I am concerned about its lack of specificity. What does supporting the quarantine of possible COVID patients look like? What kinds of services will be provided to those individuals? I believe these are the questions have to be asked before deciding to expend $100 billion of hard-earned taxpayer dollars to provide for such purposes.

But of utmost concern is that of which many of you have already mentioned – your right to privacy. While I support the use of contact tracing, I do not think that individuals should be forced to disclose their personal information. We also must ensure that any individually identifiable health information that is disclosed is properly secured and protected, in accordance with the robust privacy laws already in place.

To that end, I appreciate this bill’s adherence to longstanding federal privacy requirements, as well as Rep. Bobby Rush’s assurance that participation will be voluntary. However, I understand your concerns, and I assure you I am entirely committed to safeguarding your privacy, especially with bills like this that discuss at-home testing and quarantine related services.

I am pleased at the increased coordination we have seen in recent weeks between the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and state public health departments in order to improve states’ ability to detect, monitor, and prevent the spread of COVID-19. This is a crucial step that must be taken in order to reopen the U.S. economy, and my colleagues and I will continue working hard to find the best path forward to support them in this effort.