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Tribal leaders press for protected access to health data, citing sovereignty and COVID‑era gaps
Summary
Vicky Lowe of the American Indian Health Commission told committee members that tribes have inherent authority over their data, described a state tribal data‑sharing agreement, and said Department of Health stopped collecting tribal affiliation because of Public Records Act concerns.
Vicky Lowe, executive director of the American Indian Health Commission, told the House State Government and Tribal Relations Committee at a Puyallup Reservation field hearing that tribes must control access to health data that link individuals to tribal affiliation to protect communities and to inform tribal public‑health work.
"Tribes have the inherent authority to manage their data," Lowe said, describing principles developed by the governor's Indian Health Advisory Council and a tribal data‑sharing agreement negotiated with the Washington Department of Health. She said the American Indian Health Commission represents 29 tribes and two urban Indian health programs in Washington.
Lowe reviewed legal foundations: tribal sovereignty is inherent and predates federal and state authority;…
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