Two more employees from the state Health and Human Services Commission have been fired for accessing the private information of Texans seeking public assistance, adding to growing concerns over data security in government agencies.
Data Breach Affects Thousands
The firings come after the state notified more than 61,000 people who applied for or received assistance between June 2021 and December 2024 that their private information had been improperly accessed by state employees. The agency has been grappling with the breach’s impact and its implications for data security.
Three employees previously fired had their cases referred to local prosecutors. Two of them were found to have changed personal identification numbers on Lone Star food stamp cards and made unauthorized purchases.
These latest dismissals bring the total number of terminated employees to nine in the last year for unauthorized access to private information.
State Senate Hearing Highlights Security Concerns
During a Senate Committee of Finance hearing on Monday, Chair Joan Huffman, R-Houston, pressed HHSC Commissioner Cecile Young about the extent of data access. Young confirmed that more than 8,000 HHSC employees could access private information.
“The privacy breach, as you know, was something that was a new novel pattern that our own employees were doing,” Young stated. “One thing I wanted to make clear is oftentimes when you hear someone breaching privacy it’s coming from the outside. And in this case, sadly, it was actually coming from our employees.”
The Risks of Remote Work
State officials also discussed concerns about remote work arrangements at HHSC. About 40% of employees handling Medicaid, food stamps, and other public assistance applications work from home. Lawmakers raised concerns about the security risks of sensitive information being accessible in non-office environments.
“You never know who’s walking through a room, and so forth, and they look down and say, ‘Wow, you have access to a bunch of Social Security numbers!’” Huffman said. “You know what that’s worth? I’m assuming it’s worth a lot of money.”
A Legislative Budget Board survey last fall examined remote work’s impact across 96 state agencies. The findings revealed:
- 29 agencies reported cost savings from remote work.
- 80 agencies said remote work helped retain or recruit employees.
- Productivity results were mixed, with 46 agencies seeing improvement, 40 reporting no impact, and 10 choosing not to respond.
Public Frustration Over Government Accessibility
State Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, voiced concerns about the public’s access to government services. He argued that remote work has made it harder for Texans to get help, as many agencies have limited in-person hours and fewer staff available in offices.
The state continues to grapple with balancing employee flexibility and data security while ensuring that Texans can access critical public services without unnecessary hurdles.
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