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Genome Statute and Legislation Database

The Genome Statute and Legislation Database is comprised of state statutes and bills introduced during the 2002-2024 U.S. state legislative sessions.

Overview

The Genome Statute and Legislation Database is reviewed and updated monthly. Searchable topics in the database include employment and insurance discrimination, health insurance coverage, privacy, research, the use of residual newborn screening specimens and other topics of interest.

Definitions of terms such as "bill", "statute", and "regulation" are available through the Glossary of Statutory, Legislative, and Regulatory Terms.

For other helpful links and legislative databases, please see Additional Resources.

Search

State Primary Link Topic(s) Bill Status Sort descending Summary
Indiana Health Insurance Nondiscrimination Died

An insurer that issues an individual or group policy of accident and sickness insurance, small employer group health insurance plans, and health maintenance organization contracts may not establish rules for eligibility of an individual to enroll or continued enrollment based on any of the following health status related factors, including genetic information. Died.

Maryland Privacy Died

Requires a business, when destroying an employee's or a former employee's records that contain personal information, including a genetic print, to take steps to protect against unauthorized access to or use of the information. States when a business that owns, licenses, or maintains computerized data containing personal information must investigate a security breach. Died.

Maryland Privacy Died

Amends the statute requiring certain units of State government to employ reasonable security procedures and practices. Proposed changes to the law include altering the definition of biometric information by removing the term genetic print and adding an individual's DNA to the definition. In the House - Hearing 3/31 at 1:30 p.m. Died.

Minnesota Other Topics Died

Establishes a genetic marker testing pilot program. The program is intended to refine the understanding of disease onset and progression, treatment response, and health outcomes through more precise measurement of genetic factors that contribute to health and disease. Died.

Nebraska Health Insurance Coverage Died

Requires individual or group sickness and accident insurance policies or subscriber contracts; hospital, medical, or surgical expense-incurred policies; and any self-funded employee benefit plan to the extent not preempted by federal law shall to provide coverage for screening digital breast tomosynthesis and digital magnetic resonance imaging if a woman 40 or older has positive genetic testing. Died.

New York Health Insurance Nondiscrimination Died

This bill prohibits group or blanket policies that cover 51 or more employees for hospital, medical, major medical, or similar type comprehensive coverage from excluding members or dependents or establishing rates based on predisposing genetic characteristics. The bill also prohibits health insurers from requiring or using tests for or information about predisposing genetic characteristics for underwriting. The same restrictions are imposed upon hospital service corporations, health services corporation and medical expense indemnity corporations covering 51 or more employees. Measure failed.

Massachusetts Privacy Died

The bill amends statute sections pertaining to the department of consumer affairs and business regulations relative to any person that owns or licenses personal information about a resident of the commonwealth. Changes add biometric information, including genetic information, to the types of personal information protected under the law. Died.

Minnesota Privacy Died

Establishes the parent's bill of rights. Requirements set forth in the bill include parental written consent before any record of a minor child's blood or DNA is made, shared or stored unless required by law or court order. Died.

New Hampshire Privacy Died

Prohibits the government from acquiring, retaining, collecting, or using personal information without express written consent with some exceptions such as if a warrant has been issued. Personal information includes DNA/RNA. Died.

New York Health Insurance Nondiscrimination Died

his bill defines the term "genetic predisposition" for purposes of individual and small group health insurance policies, requires that genetic predisposition be disregarded in community rating, and provides that no pre-existing condition exclusion in such a policy shall exclude coverage on the basis of any genetic predisposition. Measure failed.

North Carolina Employment Nondiscrimination, Health Insurance Nondiscrimination, Other Topics, Other Lines of Insurance Nondiscrimination Died

Prohibits discriminatory housing practices based on protected status, which includes genetic information. Declares that it is the public policy of the State to protect and safeguard the right and opportunity of all individuals to seek, obtain and hold employment without discrimination or abridgement on account of certain characteristics, including genetic information. Also prohibits insurers from refusing to insure or refusing to continue to insure an individual, limit the amount, extent, or kind of coverage available to an individual, or charge an individual a different rate for the same coverage, based on genetic information. School boards also must adopt a policy to establish that the local board of education and school personnel employed by the local board may not discriminate based on genetic information. Charter and nonpublic schools may not discriminate based on genetic information. Died.

Texas Privacy Died

Requires an individual or the individual�s authorized representative provide express consent for a person to: (1) obtain the individual �s genetic material or genetic information; (2) perform a genetic analysis of the individual or any other analysis or test of the individual that requires the individual �s genetic material; (3) retain the individual �s genetic material or genetic information; or (4) disclose, including through sale or donation, the individual �s genetic material or genetic information. 3/29/2021 Referred to House Public Health Committee. Died.

Wisconsin Employment Nondiscrimination Died

Addresses actions in circuit court alleging discrimination in employment, unfair honesty testing, or unfair genetic testing. 3/28/2018 Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1.

Colorado Privacy Died

Establishes the parent's bill of rights. Requirements set forth in the bill include parental written consent before any record of a minor child's blood or DNA is made, shared or stored unless required by law or court order. 02/13/2020 House Committee on State, Veterans, & Military Affairs Postpone Indefinitely.

Idaho Privacy Died

Regulates the collection, possession and disclosure of biometric identifiers, defined to include human DNA, by private entities. Died.

Maryland Health Insurance Nondiscrimination, Other Lines of Insurance Nondiscrimination Died

This bill provides an individual with a right to civil if the state genetic nondiscrimination insurance statutes are violated. Measure failed.

Michigan Health Insurance Nondiscrimination Died

An insurer may specify in writing the materials and information necessary to constitute a properly completed standard prior authorization request. The request may include patient clinical information, including, but not limited to diagnosis, chart notes, lab information, and genetic tests. Died.

Missouri Privacy Died

Prohibits school districts from collecting biometric information, including DNA sequences, on students without the express written consent of parents or legal guardians. Died.

New Jersey Other Topics Died

Establishes New Jersey Pharmacogenomics Commission. Died.

New York Employment Nondiscrimination, Other Topics, Privacy Died

Prohibits discrimination based on genetic information in multiple sections of the statutes, including those pertaining to employment, housing, credit, education and other areas. Died.

Rhode Island Health Insurance Coverage Died

Establishes a rare disease medication reinsurance fund. Creates and establishes funding for a rare disease medication advisory council. Based on information from the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the council must recommend the drugs to be covered, an assessment rate, and a funding distribution method. The council must recommend for inclusion only those medications that are high cost prescription drugs, gene therapies or cell therapies designated as orphan drugs by the federal drug administration. 4/1/2021 Committee recommended measure be held for further study. Died.

Washington Health Insurance Coverage Died

Establishes the Healthy Washington program to provide comprehensive universal single-payer health care coverage for all residents of the state. The board of Healthy Washington must create requirements and standards for the program and for health care organizations, care coordinators, and health care providers pertaining to nondiscrimination with respect to members and health care providers on the basis of genetic information. Died.

Arizona Privacy Died

Amends the state genetic privacy law. Declares genetic testing and the information derived from it, whether in the possession of a public or private entity, to be the exclusive private property of the person tested. Died.

Florida Health Insurance Nondiscrimination Died

Creates Healthy Florida Program for purpose of comprehensive universal single-payer health care coverage. The Board of the program must establish requirements and standards to promote nondiscrimination, including based on genetic information. Died.

Kentucky Health Insurance Nondiscrimination Died

Makes technical changes to state statutes that prohibit the use of pre-existing condition exclusions based on genetic information. Clarifies that the prohibition applies to all insurers that offer any health benefit plan coverage. Died.

Maryland Employment Nondiscrimination Died

Requires managers and supervisors in the Legislative and Executive branches of State government to immediately report certain incidents of workplace bullying, including bullying based on genetic information. 3/11/2019 Unfavorable Report by Finance; Withdrawn.

Louisiana Employment Nondiscrimination Died

This bill changes the person in charge of promulgating regulations for genetic monitoring from the executive director of the Louisiana Workforce Commission to the chairman of the Louisiana Commission on Human Rights. Measure failed.

Maryland Privacy Died

Requires certain businesses that collect a consumer's personal information, including biometric information such as an individual's DNA, to provide certain clear and conspicuous notices to the consumer at or before the point of collection. Authorizes a consumer to submit a certain request for information to a business that collects the consumer's personal information. Requires a business to comply with a request for information within 45 days after receiving a request. Died.

Massachusetts Other Topics Died

Prohibits a local or state administrative, legislative or regulatory body or instrumentality from engaging in a discriminatory land use practice based on genetic information. Died.

Mississippi Health Insurance Nondiscrimination Died

Creates a small business health insurance pool. Genetic information may not be excluded as a preexisting condition in the small business health insurance pool in the absence of a diagnosis of the condition related to the genetic information. Died.

New Jersey Health Insurance Nondiscrimination Died

Establishes the Healthy New Jersey Program. Prohibits discrimination with respect to members and health care providers based on genetic information. Died.

New York Health Insurance Coverage Died

Requires policies that provide coverage for hospital, medical or surgical care to provide coverage for screening for ovarian cancer, upon examination by a physician or other factors, including genetic testing, for an ultrasound at specified periods. Died.

Illinois Privacy Died

Amends the Personal Information Protection Act. Provides that individuals and entities have intellectual property rights in their digital identity assets. Provides for the payment of royalties to individuals and entities for access, for the purpose of commercial advertising, to their digital assets. Digital assets include, but are not limited to, information accumulated regarding an individual's or entity's personal information. Personal information includes medical history such as RNA and DNA profiles and genetic history. Carries over to 2022 session.

Ohio Health Insurance Coverage Died

This bill prohibits individual or group accident and sickness insurers from excluding coverage for the screening and diagnosis of autism, including genetic testing. Measure failed.

Vermont Privacy Died

Prohibits the state sale of personally identifiable information, including genetic information. Died.

Wyoming Privacy Died

Creates the Student Personal Digital Information Protection Act. The Act establishes protections to safeguard the privacy of student data, including biometric information. It is unclear whether biometric information includes genetic information or a DNA sequence. The term is not defined. Failed 2/13/2017

Connecticut Other Topics Died

Creates a penalty for the unauthorized public photography of an individual with a genetic or medical condition. Died.

Illinois Privacy Died

Requires health insurance providers to protect health information related to sensitive services. A 2016 House Amendment would define sensitive services to include genetic testing. Died.

Maryland Other Topics Died

Repeals a prohibition on advertising for or soliciting business related to direct to consumer genetic testing in the State. Died.

Minnesota Privacy Died

This bill adds third generation pedigrees to health data protections that apply to the state health department. This bill also requires government entities to obtain written informed consent to collect genetic information and human biological specimens. Consent must include the purpose for collection, the length of retention, and any dissemination outside the organization that will occur. Measure failed.

Montana Other Lines of Insurance Nondiscrimination Died

This bill amends the genetic nondiscrimination law pertaining to life and disability insurance to exclude high deductible plans. Measure failed.

New Mexico Employment Nondiscrimination, Other Topics, Privacy Died

Establishes that every person, whether a minor or an adult, has the right of bodily integrity and the freedom to assert that right. A person may not be discriminated agains or denied public accommodation, housing accommodation, employment, government services or any other services offered to the general public or otherwise penalized for the assertion of the right of bodily integrity, including the right not to provide samples of bodily fluids, bodily tissue or genetic material. Died.

New York Health Insurance Nondiscrimination Died

Requires accident and health insurance policies to cover the cost of genetic testing of persons with a family history of cancer. Died.

Tennessee Privacy Died

Requires a parent, legal guardian, or student, if the student is 18 years of age or older, to provide informed written consent before the collection of individual student biometric data, including DNA. Establishes additional protections for personally identifiable information, which includes biometric data, maintained by schools. 4/18/2018 Companion House bill substituted.

Washington Privacy Died

Requires controller who determines the purposes and means of the processing of personal data to obtain consent prior to processing sensitive data, including genetic data. Controllers must conduct an assessment of activities pertaining to the processing of sensitive data. Died.

California Health Insurance Coverage Died

Prohibits a health care service plan contract or a health insurance policy that covers prescription drug benefits from denying or otherwise limiting coverage of a genetically targeted drug for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy under specified circumstances. Died.

Florida Privacy Died

Creates the Florida privacy Protection Act. Requires collectors to provide notice to consumers about data collection and selling practices. Provides consumers right to request data be disclosed, deleted, or corrected and to opt-in or opt-out of sale or sharing of such data. Provides nondiscrimination measures, methods for requesting data and opting-in or opting-out of sale or sharing of such data, private cause of action, enforcement, and jurisdiction. Personal information is defined to include biometric information such as DNA. 4/30/21 Died in returning messages.

California Health Insurance Nondiscrimination Enacted

Authorizes an association of employers to offer a large group health care service plan contract or large group health insurance policy to small group employer members of the association consistent with federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, if certain requirements are met. A policy or contract that is offered to or covers a small employer may not establish rules for eligibility, including continued eligibility, of an individual, or dependent of an individual, to enroll under the terms of the policy or contract based on various health status-related factors such as genetic information. 10/8/2021 Approved by the Governor. Effective 1/1/2022.

Maryland Other Topics Enacted

A person who directly or indirectly advertises or solicits business for diagnostic laboratory tests or procedures is a covered entity under HIPAA and must make certain disclosures. The law does not apply to germline genetic or genomic testing for the analysis, diagnosis or prediction of human disease. May 13, 2019 Approved by the Governor - Chapter 413. Effective October 1, 2019.

Illinois Other Lines of Insurance Nondiscrimination Enacted

A company providing direct-to-consumer commercial genetic testing is prohibited from sharing genetic test information or other personally identifiable information about a consumer with any health or life insurance company without written consent from the consumer. Direct-to-consumer genetic tests are added to the definition of genetic test under the Genetic Information privacy Act. 7/26/2019 Public Act. Effective January 1, 2020.

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Additional Resources

Cornell Legal Information Institute
This website allows users to search for Federal and state laws and regulations. NHGRI’s Genome Statute and Legislation Database does not include regulations.

LawSeqSM Database
Developed at the University of Minnesota and Vanderbilt University Medical Center, this database allows users to search federal and state statutes, regulations, and reported judicial decisions. The database allows searches by jurisdiction (federal, state, and individuals states), source type, topic, and open text. This resource was developed by a project funded by NHGRI and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) on “LawSeqSM: Building a Sound Legal Foundation for Translating Genomics into Clinical Application” (grant #: R01HG008605; Susan M. Wolf,. Ellen Wright Clayton, and Frances Lawrenz, principal investigators). The team keeps this database up to date.

National Society of Genetic Counselors
To find information about state genetic counselor licensing laws, visit the National Society of Genetic Counselors’ website. NHGRI’s Genome Statute and Legislation Database does not include state laws related to genetic counseling. 

Last updated: February 8, 2024