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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.

State Primary Link Topic(s) Bill Status Summary
New Mexico Health Insurance Nondiscrimination Enacted

Aligns health insurance law with federal law. Prohibits a group health benefits plan or a health insurance issuer that offers group health_insurance_coverage in connection with a group health benefits plan from adjusting premiums or contribution amounts for the group covered under the plan on the basis of genetic information. April 4, 2019 Signed by Governor - Chapter 259. Effective June 5, 2019.

New Mexico Employment Nondiscrimination Died

Creates the Workplace Harassment Prevention and Education Section of the Human Rights Bureau. The section is responsible for enforcing unlawful workplace harassment policies, including those that pertain to harassment based on genetic information. Died.

New York Employment Nondiscrimination Died

Creates a company climate report system to assess the workplace environment of companies doing business in New York. Requires companies to submit biennial climate reports based on an anonymous survey of employees to assess the workplace environment including, but not limited to, pay equity, sexual harassment and discrimination based on various factors, an individual's predisposing genetic characteristics. Died.

New York Employment Nondiscrimination Died

Prohibits discrimination or harassment based predisposing genetic characteristics of non-employees in the workplace. Died.

New York Privacy Died

Requires biometric identifies and information to be treated in a manner similar to confidential and sensitive information such as a genetic marker or genetic testing information. Died.

New York Other Topics Died

Establishes an eleven member genetics advisory council. Died.

New York Research Died

Regulates the use of human subjects for medical research and experimentation, including subjects with mental disorders and children. Died.

New York Employment Nondiscrimination Died

Establishes unlawful discriminatory practices relating to models, including discrimination based on predisposing genetic characteristics. 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.

New York Privacy Died

Establishes a personal information bill of rights requiring parties having custody of residents' personal identifying information to ensure the security the information. Personal information is defined to include biometric information such as DNA. Died.

New York Health Insurance Coverage Died

Requires health insurance policies to cover comprehensive screening for ovarian cancer for persons at high risk, including genetic testing. Died.

New York Health Insurance Coverage Died

Requires health insurance policies to cover comprehensive genetic screening for ovarian and prostate cancers. Died.

New York Employment Nondiscrimination Died

Prohibits discrimination or harassment based predisposing genetic characteristics of non-employees in the workplace. Died.

New York Privacy Enacted

Directs the commissioner of education to conduct a study on the use of biometric identifying technology; prohibits the use of biometric identifying technology in schools until July 1, 2022, or until the commissioner authorizes such purchase or utilization. Biometric information is defined to include a DNA sequence. 12/22/2020 Signed by the Governor. Effective immediately.

New York Privacy Died

Establishes the "It's Your Data Act" for the purposes of providing protections and transparency in the collection, use, retention, and sharing of personal information. Personal information includes biometric information such as DNA. Died.

New York Research Died

Authorizes human research in compliance with federal law. Substituted by S6488. Senate substitute signed by the Governor on 9/13/19.

New York Privacy Died

Requires every personal information recipient to protect the security and integrity of all personal information in their custody from unauthorized access or unauthorized use. Places strict liability on companies where breaches of security allow for personal information to be compromised. Personal information is defined to include biometric information such as DNA. Died.

New York Privacy Died

Requires biometric identifies and information to be treated in a manner similar to confidential and sensitive information such as a genetic marker or genetic testing information. Died.

New York Employment Nondiscrimination Died

Prohibits discrimination or harassment based predisposing genetic characteristics of non-employees in the workplace. Died.

New York Health Insurance Coverage Died

Provides insurance coverage for colonoscopies for individuals 45 or older based on risk factors, including genetic history. Died.

New York Employment Nondiscrimination Died

Prohibits an employer, licensing agency, employment agency, or labor organization from subjecting an individual to discriminatory harassment based on various factors, including predisposing genetic characteristics. Prohibits subjecting domestic workers to unwelcome harassment based on genetic information. Died.

New York Employment Nondiscrimination Died

Prohibits hiring parties from subjecting a model to harassment based on various factors, including predisposing genetic characteristics. Died.

New York Employment Nondiscrimination Enacted

Declares that it is the policy of the state and all its political subdivisions to ensure a fair, non-biased compensation structure for all employees. Status within one or more protected class or classes may not be considered directly or indirectly in determining proper compensation or pay for any individual or group of employees, and no employee with status within one or more protected class to classes may be paid a wage at a rate less than the rate at which an employee without status within the protected class or classes in same establishment is paid for similar work. Protected class includes predisposing genetic characteristic. Signed by the Governor 12/26/2019.

New York Health Insurance Coverage Died

Requires health insurance policies to cover comprehensive genetic screening for ovarian and prostate cancers. Died.

New York Privacy Enacted

Directs the commissioner of education to conduct a study on the use of biometric identifying technology; prohibits the use of biometric identifying technology in schools until July 1, 2022, or until the commissioner authorizes such purchase or utilization. Biometric information is defined to include a DNA sequence. 12/22/2020 Signed by the Governor. Effective immediately.

New York Research Enacted

Amends the public health law, in relation to authorizing human research in compliance with federal law. 9/13/2019 Signed by the Governor.

New York Employment Nondiscrimination Died

Prohibits an employer, licensing agency, employment agency, or labor organization from subjecting an individual to discriminatory harassment based on various factors, including predisposing genetic characteristics. Prohibits subjecting domestic workers to unwelcome harassment based on genetic information. Died.

North Carolina Health Insurance Nondiscrimination Died

Prohibits an association health plan or sponsoring association from conditioning eligibility for coverage, including continuing eligibility for coverage, on health-status factors such as genetic information. Died.

North Carolina Other Topics Died

Prohibits unlawful discriminatory practice based on protected status, including genetic information. Died.

North Carolina Other Topics Died

Prohibits unlawful discriminatory practice based on protected status, including genetic information. Died.

North Carolina Health Insurance Nondiscrimination Enacted

A sponsoring association of an employee welfare benefit program may not condition eligibility for coverage, including continuing eligibility for coverage, on health status related factors such as genetic information. 8/26/2019 Became law without signature.

Oklahoma Other Topics Died

Prohibits unlawful housing discriminatory practices based on genetic information. Died.

Rhode Island Privacy Died

Enacts the Consumer Protection privacy Act. Establishes consumer protections pertaining to the collection and use of personal information, including an individual's DNA, by businesses. Died.

Rhode Island Health Insurance Coverage Died

Requires nonprofit hospital service contract, plan, or insurance policy delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed in this state must provide coverage of all blood testing services, including specified genetic tests. Died.

Tennessee Other Topics Died

Creates a genetic advisory committee. Substituted by 2019 SB 127, which became Pub. Ch. 43 April 3, 2019.

Tennessee Other Topics Enacted

Extends the sunset date of the genetic advisory committee to June 30, 2025. Signed by the Governor 3/22/2019. Pub. Ch. 43.

Texas Health Insurance Nondiscrimination Died

Creates the Healthy Texas Program. The board for the program must create policies that promote nondiscrimination with respect to members and providers with regard to genetic information. Died.

Texas Privacy Died

Establishes protections for the privacy of a consumer's personal information collected by certain businesses, including biometric information. Biometric information includes DNA. Died.

Utah Health Insurance Coverage Enacted

Requires the Medicaid program to reimburse for exome sequencing for undiagnosed enrollees under the age of 21. March 26, 2019 Governor Signed. Effective 60 days after adjournment on March 14, 2019.

Utah Employment Nondiscrimination Enacted

Introduced version prohibited a lobbyist from engaging in unlawful harassment, including based on genetic information. The language pertaining to genetic information was not included in the final version signed by the Governor on 3/26/2019.

Vermont Privacy Died

Proposes to identify a DNA sample and the results of a DNA analysis performed on the sample as the exclusive property of the person sampled or analyzed and to provide criminal and civil penalties for unlawful DNA collection, analysis, retention, or disclosure. Died.

Vermont Privacy Enacted

Requires (1) the State Court Administrator for the Judicial Branch; (2)the Director of Information Technology for the Legislative Branch; and (3) the Chief Data Officer within the Agency of Digital Services and the Chief Records Officer within the Office of the Secretary of State for the Executive Branch to conduct a data privacy inventory for their respective branches of government. The inventory must address the collection and management of personally identifiable information, including genetic information. Requires a report to the legislature on or before January 15, 2021. Signed by the Governor on March 5, 2020.

Virginia Employment Nondiscrimination Died

Requires each legislative branch agency to adopt and implement the Commonwealth Workplace Harassment Policy established by the Department of Human Resource Management. Workplace harassment is defined to include harassment based on genetic information. Died.

Virginia Employment Nondiscrimination Died

Prohibits discrimination in apprenticeships based on various factors, including genetic information. Died.

Washington Privacy Died

Protects consumer data. Original version of bill included genetic data in the definition of sensitive information, but it was removed from the substitute bill version. 1/13/2020 By resolution, reintroduced and retained in present status. Rules Committee relieved of further consideration. Died.

Washington Health Insurance Nondiscrimination Enacted

Making state law consistent with selected federal consumer protections in the patient protection and affordable care act. Prohibits a health carrier or health plan from establishing rules for eligibility based on health-status related factors such as genetic information. April 17, 2019 Signed by the Governor. Effective immediately.

Washington Other Topics Died

Restricts genome editing of human embryos. Died.

Washington Employment Nondiscrimination Died

Concerns harassment and discrimination by legislators and legislative branch employees, including discrimination based on genetic status. Substitute bill, which did not include genetic discirmination provision, was enacted.

Washington Privacy Died

Seeks to increase consumer data transparency. The bill address consumer biometric information, which is defined to include DNA. Died.

Washington Privacy Died

Protects sensitive data of consumers, including genetic data. 1/13/2020 By resolution, reintroduced and retained in present status. Died.

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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