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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
New York Health Insurance Coverage Died

This bill requires health insurers to cover genetic testing of persons with a family history of cancer when the attending physician determines such person has a significant risk of cancer. Measure failed.

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.

Tennessee Other Topics Died

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

West Virginia Health Insurance Coverage Died

Requires insurance coverage of a comprehensive ultrasound screening of breast if a woman is believed to be at increased risk of cancer based on several factors, including positive genetic testing. Died.

Massachusetts Health Insurance Coverage Died

This bill requires individual accident and sickness policies, individual and group hospital service plans, the group insurance commissionplan for active and retired employees, and individual or group medical service agreement and health maintenance contract to provide benefits on a nondiscrminatory basis for diagnosis and treatment of autism. Diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders is defined to include genetic testing. Accompanied a new draft 2010 H. 4935, which was enacted.

Minnesota Other Topics Died

Establishes a pharmacogenetics task force. Died.

Nevada Health Insurance Coverage Died

Requires the State Plan for Medicaid to pay the nonfederal share of expenditures incurred to perform genetic testing to detect birth defects in the fetus of a pregnant woman who is 40 years of age or older. 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.

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.

Texas Privacy Died

Prohibits a governmental body from capturing or possessing a biometric identified, defined to include DNA, unless it has specific, explicit statutory or has the written consent of the individual or the individual's legal guardian. Died.

West Virginia Privacy Died

Requires a business that collects personal information about consumers to maintain an online privacy policy, make such policy available on its Internet website, and update the information at least once every 12 months. Personal information includes biometric information such as an individual's DNA. 3/15/2021 To House Judiciary. Died.

Connecticut Health Insurance Coverage Died

Requires individual and group health insurers to provide coverage for breast cancer chemoprevention counseling, risk assessment, genetic testing and counseling for any woman who is at increased risk for breast cancer due to family history, prior personal history of breast cancer, positive genetic testing or other indications as determined by a health care provider. Died.

Illinois Privacy Died

This bill was introduced as an amendment to the Genetic Information privacy Act. All language was stricken in a senate amendment and new language was added related to firearms.

Maryland Privacy Died

Sets forth requirements for governmental units, including an executive, legislative or judicial agency, a department, a board, a commission, an authority, a public institution of higher education, or a unit or instrument of the state that collects or discloses personal information. Defines personal information to include an individual's genetic print. Died.

Massachusetts Privacy Died

Prohibits a public agency or public official from: (1) acquiring, possessing, accessing, using, or assisting with the use of or provide resources for the development or use of any biometric surveillance system, or (2) entering into a contract with or making a request to any third party for the purpose of acquiring, possessing, accessing or using information derived from a biometric surveillance system, unless expressly authorized by law. Biometric data is defined to include deoxyribonucleic acid. Died.

Mississippi Other Topics Died

Allows parents to request exemption of their children from certain activities during a school year, including the collection, tracking, housing, reporting, selling, or sharing with any party outside of the local school district, of noneducational-related information on my child or my family, including, but not limited to DNA sequences. 02/05 (S) Died In Committee.

New Jersey Employment Nondiscrimination Died

Declares that it is an unlawful employment practice for an employer based on certain factors to require an employee who is the parent or legal guardian of a school aged child to be physically present for work, when that work can be performed remotely, during the public health emergency and state of emergency declared by the Governor. Specified factors include genetic information or the refusal to submit to a genetic test or make available the results of a genetic test. Died.

New York Health Insurance Coverage Died

Requires health insurance policies to cover comprehensive screening for ovarian cancer. Additional coverage for computed tomography, barium enema X-rays, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography, laparoscopy, colonoscopy and biopsy if a person is at increased risk for ovarian cancer due to specified factors, including positive genetic testing. Died.

Oregon Health Insurance Nondiscrimination Died

This bill creates the Oregon Health Insurance Exchange and prohibits the treatment of genetic information in the absence of a diagnosis as a pre-existing condition in the exchange. Measure failed.

Virginia Employment Nondiscrimination Died

Establishes policies to prevent workplace harassment in the legislative branch. Workplace harassment is defined as unwelcome verbal, written, or physical conduct that either denigrates or shows hostility or aversion toward a person on the basis of certain characteristics, including genetics, that (i) has the purpose or effect of creating an environment that a reasonable person would consider intimidating, hostile, or abusive; (ii) has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an employee's work performance; or (iii) affects an employee's employment opportunities or compensation. Died.

California Other Topics Died

This bill prohibits the denial of a workers' compensation claim solely because the motivation behind what caused the employee's injury or injury resulting in death was related to an immutable characteristic of the employee. The bill also states that physicians assigning apportionment to the causes of permanent disability by finding what approximate percentage of the disability is a direct result of the employment-related injury versus other factors may not consider genetic predisposition a cause or other factor of disability. Measure failed.

Florida Other Topics, Other Lines of Insurance Nondiscrimination Died

Prohibits life insurers, long-term care insurers, and disability income insurers from certain actions relating to genetic information or genetic testing of applicants. Prohibits these insurers from taking certain actions relating to coverage or rates unless certain conditions are met. Requires entities providing direct-to-consumer genetic testing to obtain prior written authorization to disclose identifying health information to life or health insurers. Died.

Kentucky Privacy Died

Creates a parent's right to consent in writing before any record of the minor child�s blood or deoxyribonucleic acid is created, stored, or shared, unless authorized pursuant to a court order or an ongoing criminal investigation. Died.

Maryland Other Topics Died

A hospital or related institution may not discriminate in admitting or providing personal care based on genetic information. Died.

Massachusetts Privacy Died

Requires the department of consumer affairs and business to adopt regulations relative to any person that owns or licenses personal information about a resident of the commonwealth. Personal information includes biometric indicators (or any unique biological attribute or measurement that can be used to authenticate the identity of an individual, including but not limited to fingerprints, genetic information, iris or retina patterns, facial characteristics, or hand geometry). 6/27/2018 Accompanied a study order, see H4648.

Mississippi Employment Nondiscrimination Died

This bill prohibits employers from using genetic testing for discriminatory purposes. Civil and criminal penalties for violations are set forth. Measure failed.

New Hampshire Research Died

The informational content, including DNA/RNA and genetic sequences, contained in or on abandoned personal material is the property of the individual to whom it pertains regardless of its abandonment. No government or person may acquire, collect, retain or use of such informational content, with some exceptions such as for use by a law enforcement agency. Died on the table.

New York Health Insurance Coverage Died

Requires policies of hospital, surgical or medical care to provide coverage for ovarian cancer screening. These policies also must provide coverage for specific services if a person is believed to be at increased risk of ovarian cancer to due to family history, personal history or positive genetic testing. Died.

North Carolina Employment Nondiscrimination, Other Topics Died

Declares that it is the public policy of the State to protect and safeguard the right and opportunity of all individuals to (1) enjoy fully and equally the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, and accommodations of places of public accommodations free of discrimination; and 2) seek, obtain and hold employment without discrimination or abridgement on account of certain characteristics, including genetic information. Prohibits discrimination in housing practices 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. passed_senate. 5/17/2021 Referred to House Public Health Committee. Died.

Wisconsin Health Insurance Nondiscrimination Died

Amends health insurance law pertaining to pre-existing conditions. Insurers may not treat genetic information as a pre-existing condition. Provision stating "without a diagnosis of a condition related to the information" is stricken. 3/28/2018 Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1.

Alabama Privacy Died

This bill creates the Genetic Information privacy Act. The bill establishes procedures for obtaining, disclosing and storing genetic information as well as penalties for unlawful disclosure. Measure failed.

Delaware Privacy Died

Restricts the use of a child's personally identifiable information, including DNA and other genetic material, by the operator of an internet service. Substitute bill passed by House and Senate, but substitute bill does not include language regarding DNA and genetic information. Substituted bill was signed by the Governor.

Illinois Health Insurance Coverage Died

Amends the Medical Patient Rights Act. Provides that all persons have a right to request an annual breast cancer screening mammogram under the age of 40 if such person has a family history of breast cancer or genetic testing has confirmed likelihood that such person has otherwise tested positive for BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations. Died.

Maryland Other Lines of Insurance Nondiscrimination Died

For a stop-loss insurance policy or contract issues to a small employer, a medical stop-loss insurer may not increase cost-sharing or decrease coverage for a specific individual within the plan or exclude any employee or dependent base on an actual or expected health-status related factor, including genetic information. Died.

Michigan Employment Nondiscrimination Died

Requires employers of 50 people or more to post a notice that it is illegal under federal law to pay employees different wages for the same work based on certain criteria, including genetic information. Died.

Missouri Privacy Died

Prohibits school district from collecting biometric information on any student without express written consent of the student�s parent or legal guardian. Biometric information includes a DNA sequence. Died.

New Jersey Privacy Died

Prohibits a teaching staff member employed by a board of education from inputting the individually identifiable health information of a student or members of a student�s family, or conversations concerning such information, into a third party software application managed by an entity that engages in partisan political activity. The bill defines individually identifiable health information as any information, including genetic or vaccination information, relating to the past, present, or future physical or mental health or condition of an individual that either identifies the individual or could reasonably be used to identify the individual. Died.

New York Privacy Died

Establishes a personal information bill of rights. Declares the right of all New Yorkers to have their personal information, including DNA, protected. Died.

South Carolina Privacy Died

Sets forth requirements for the collection and use of consumer biometric information by businesses. Biometric information is defined to include an individual's DNA. 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.

California Privacy Died

Language in introduced version, which pertained to genetic characteristics and workers compensation, was stricken. Amended version of bill states that peace officer and custodial officer personnel records maintained by a state or local agency are not confidential and are available for public inspection. Records available for inspection include those relating to an incident in which a sustained finding was made by any law enforcement agency or oversight agency that a peace officer or custodial officer engaged in conduct such as verbal statements, writings, online posts, recordings, and gestures, involving prejudice or discrimination against a person on the basis of various factors, including genetic information. Died.

Georgia Privacy Died

Except as required by the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, specified information, including DNA, may not be collected, entered into any student data base, or maintained as education records by a state agency, local board of education, or school. Died.

Maine Privacy Died

Prohibits the collection, entry into an education database or maintenance of DNA by as education records by the department of education or school administrative unit. Died.

Maryland Other Topics Died

Prohibits a hospital or related institution from discriminating in admitting or providing care for an individual based on various factors, including genetic information. Died.

California Other Topics Died

A certified peace officer must have their certificate suspended or revoked, and an applicant must have their application for a certificate denied, upon a determination that the peace officer or applicant meets certain conditions. Requires the development of a definition of �serious misconduct," which will serve as the criteria to be considered for suspension or revocation of a certificate. This definition must include certain examples of serious misconduct such as bias in the performance of a peace officer or custodial officer�s duties, including, but not limited to, verbal statements, writings, online posts, recordings, and gestures involving prejudice or discrimination against a person on the basis of genetic information. Carries over to 2022.

Hawaii Health Insurance Coverage Died

Requires health insurers, mutual benefit societies and health maintenance organizations to provide coverage for: (1) screening to determine whether counseling and testing related to the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genetic mutation is indicated; and (2) genetic counseling and testing related to the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genetic mutation, if indicated. Died.

Maryland Privacy Died

This bill restricts access to, use of and retention of DNA samples and disclosure of DNA test results without consent with some exceptions. The bill also provides personal property rights to DNA samples and DNA test results. The bill requires the health department to develop a uniform written informed consent form. Civil and criminal penalties are set forth, and individuals whose rights are violated may bring civil action. Measure failed.

Massachusetts Health Insurance Coverage Died

Requires health_insurance_coverage for certain genetically targeted drugs for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Died.

Mississippi Health Insurance Nondiscrimination Died

Creates the small business health insurance pool. Health benefit plans covering small employers may not use genetic information to establish a pre-existing condition exclusion in the absence of a diagnosis of a condition related to the genetic information. 2/23/2016 (H) Died In Committee.

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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