Data Breach Notification Laws in Delaware

Delaware’s Data Breach Law covers an individual or commercial entity that conducts business in Delaware and that owns or licenses computerized data that includes personal information about a resident of Delaware, or a commercial entity that maintains computerized data that includes personal information that the individual or the commercial entity does not own or license.

In the event of a breach:

•  Notice required by subsection (a) of this section must be made without unreasonable delay but not later than 60 days after determination of the breach of security
•  If the affected number of Delaware residents to be notified exceeds 500 residents, the person required to provide notice shall, not later than the time when notice is provided to the resident, also provide notice of the breach of security to the Attorney General.
• If the breach of security includes a Social Security number, the person shall offer to each resident, whose personal information, including Social Security number, was breached or is reasonably believed to have been breached, credit monitoring services at no cost to such resident for a period of 1 year. Such person shall provide all information necessary for such resident to enroll in such services and shall include information on how such resident can place a credit freeze on such resident’s credit file. Such services are not required if, after an appropriate investigation, the person reasonably determines that the breach of security is unlikely to result in harm to the individuals whose personal information has been breached.
• Pursuant to the enforcement duties and powers of the Director of Consumer Protection of the Department of Justice under Chapter 25 of Title 29, the Attorney General may bring an action in law or equity to address the violations of this chapter and for other relief that may be appropriate to ensure proper compliance with this chapter or to recover direct economic damages resulting from a violation, or both. The provisions of this chapter are not exclusive and do not relieve a person subject to this chapter from compliance with all other applicable provisions of law.

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Federal Requirements: 

In general, State laws that are contrary to the Privacy Rule are preempted by the federal requirements, which means that the federal requirements will apply.

Privacy Rule:

•  Each covered entity, with certain exceptions, must provide a notice of its privacy practices. The Privacy Rule requires that the notice contain certain elements. The notice must describe the ways in which the covered entity may use and disclose protected health information. The notice must state the covered entity’s duties to protect privacy, provide a notice of privacy practices, and abide by the terms of the current notice. The notice must describe individuals’ rights, including the right to complain to HHS and to the covered entity if they believe their privacy rights have been violated. The notice must include a point of contact for further information and for making complaints to the covered entity. Covered entities must act in accordance with their notices. The Rule also contains specific distribution requirements for direct treatment providers, all other health care providers, and health plans.
• A covered entity must develop and implement written privacy policies and procedures that are consistent with the Privacy Rule.
•  A covered entity must train all workforce members on its privacy policies and procedures, as necessary and appropriate for them to carry out their functions. A covered entity must have and apply appropriate sanctions against workforce members who violate its privacy policies and procedures or the Privacy Rule.
•  OCR may impose a penalty on a covered entity for a failure to comply with a requirement of the Privacy Rule.  Penalties will vary significantly depending on factors such as the date of the violation, whether the covered entity knew or should have known of the failure to comply, or whether the covered entity’s failure to comply was due to willful neglect.  Penalties may not exceed a calendar year cap for multiple violations of the same requirement.

Security Rule:

The Security Rule requires covered entities to maintain reasonable and appropriate administrative, technical, and physical safeguards for protecting e-PHI.

Specifically, covered entities must:

• Ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of all e-PHI they create, receive, maintain or transmit;
• Identify and protect against reasonably anticipated threats to the security or integrity of the information;
• Protect against reasonably anticipated, impermissible uses or disclosures; and
• Ensure compliance by their workforce.

Business Associates:

• The Privacy Rule requires that a covered entity obtain satisfactory assurances from its business associate that the business associate will appropriately safeguard the protected health information it receives or creates on behalf of the covered entity. The satisfactory assurances must be in writing, whether in the form of a contract or other agreement between the covered entity and the business associate.
• A “business associate” is a person or entity that performs certain functions or activities that involve the use or disclosure of protected health information on behalf of, or provides services to, a covered entity.

If you believe that a HIPAA-covered entity or its business associate violated your (or someone else’s) health information privacy rights or committed another violation of the Privacy, Security, or Breach Notification Rules, you may file a complaint with the Office for Civil Rights (OCR).

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