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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
Virginia Employment Nondiscrimination Died

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

Connecticut Health Insurance Coverage Died

Requires health_insurance_coverage for genetic cystic fibrosis screenings for women. Died.

Hawaii Health Insurance Coverage Died

Requires all individual accident and health or sickness insurance policies, all individual and group hospital and medical service corporation contracts, and all group or blanket disability policies that provide coverage for reproductive health to include certain services in reproductive health service coverage. The services listed include genetic screening and counseling related to BRCA1 and BRCA2 genetic mutations. Died.

Maine Privacy Died

Establishes annual registration of data brokers. Requires data brokers to develop, implement and maintain a comprehensive information security program to protect personally identifiable information. Personally identifiable information includes genetic identifiers. Ought Not to Pass Pursuant To Joint Rule 310, Jun 2, 2021.

Massachusetts Privacy Died

Specifies when authorization to disclose health care information is required. Health care is defined to include genetic information. As of June 6, 2014, accompanied by a study order (see H4147).

Minnesota Privacy Died

Businesses must conduct risk assessments of processing activities that involve sensitive consumer data, including genetic data. Died.

New Hampshire Privacy Died

This bill restricts the collection, storage, and sharing of student assessment data by the United States Department of Education and the New Hampshire department of education. Student assessment data includes biometric information, which is defined to include DNA. As of October 30, 2014, Interim Study Report: Not Recommended for Legislation in 2014 (Vote 15-0).

New York Use of Residual Newborn Screening Specimens Died

This bill prohibits the retention of DNA, blood spots or other genetic information with an infant's identifying information for any period of time or for any purpose other than newborn screening without parental consent. Measure failed.

New York Employment Nondiscrimination Died

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

Texas Privacy Died

Pertains to medical authorization required to release protected health information in a health care liability claim. Allows the patient or patient's personal or legal representative to exclude genetic information from the authorization. Died.

Wisconsin Employment Nondiscrimination Died

This bill allows a person discriminated against or the department of workforce development under the state fair employment practices law to bring an action in circuit court. Measure failed.

Alaska Privacy Died

Excludes DNA samples collected in the course of the person's business of determining genetic genealogy from the state genetic privacy law. Died.

Florida Employment Nondiscrimination Died

This bill prohibits appointments, terminations, assignments, and maintenance of status, compensation, privileges and other terms and conditions of employment in the state personnel system based on genetic information. Measure failed.

Indiana Health Insurance Nondiscrimination Died

Specifies that a state employee health plan, a policy of accident and sickness insurance, and a health maintenance organization contract must provide for availability, renewability, premium rating, and coverage without regard to health status, including genetic information. Died.

Maryland Research Died

Requiring hospital administrators to provide patients with a specified patient's bill of rights. The bill of rights addresses patient participation in research. Died.

Florida Other Lines of Insurance Nondiscrimination Died

Prohibits life insurers and long-term care insurers from basing decisions on genetic information. Prohibits these insurers from taking certain actions related to genetic information for any insurance purpose. Died.

Kentucky Privacy Died

Any agency that collects, maintains, or stores personal information that determines or is notified of a security breach relating to personal information collected, maintained, or stored by the agency or by a nonaffiliated third party on behalf of the agency must take specified actions. Personal information includes a genetic print or image. Agencies covered under the law include the executive branch of state government, local government and public educational institutions. Died.

Maryland Privacy Died

Enacts the Online Consumer Protection Act. Defines biometric information to include an individual's DNA. Died.

Michigan Employment Nondiscrimination Died

Requires employers of 50 or more individuals to post a notice that wage discrimination based on genetic information is prohibited under federal law. Died.

Missouri Health Insurance Nondiscrimination Died

Prohibits a health carrier offering group health_insurance_coverage in connection with a group health plan from adjusting premium or contribution amounts for the group covered under such plan on the basis of genetic information. Such health carriers may request, but shall not require, that a participant or beneficiary undergo a genetic test if certain conditions are met. Died.

New Mexico Health Insurance Nondiscrimination Died

This bill removes language in several sections of the statutes related to health insurance, which state that genetic information is not a health status factor. Measure failed.

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.

South Dakota Health Insurance Nondiscrimination Died

As introduced, this bill included a provision that prohibited pre-existing condition exclusions based on genetic information in the absence of a diagnosis. Measure failed.

Washington Privacy Died

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

Connecticut Employment Nondiscrimination Died

This bill amends the state genetic nondiscrimination law for employment by creating an exemption for state or local law enforcement, the department of public safety and the division of scientific services that allows those entities to request or require employees to provide genetic information for the purpose of detecting contamination of samples examined by the division of scientific services. Measure failed.

Idaho Other Topics Died

If a firefighter is diagnosed with breast cancer within 5 years of employment if diagnosed before the age of 40 and if the cancer was not revealed during an initial employment medical screening examination or during any subsequent medical review, the disease shall be rebuttably presumed to be proximately caused by the firefighter's employment as a firefighter, regardless of whether or not the firefighter has a genetic predisposition to breast cancer. Died.

Maryland Health Insurance Nondiscrimination, Other Lines of Insurance Nondiscrimination Died

This bill amends provisions of law that relate to the use of genetic tests and genetic information by an insurer, nonprofit health service plan, or health maintenance organization. The bill also amends provisions related to the use of genetic information in disability insurance, longterm care insurance, or life insurance. Measure failed.

Massachusetts Health Insurance Coverage, Other Topics Died

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

Mississippi Health Insurance Nondiscrimination Died

This bill creates the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination in Health Insurance Act, which prohibits health benefits plans from denying, refusing or canceling health insurance benefits or coverage on the basis of genetic information or a request or receipt of genetic services. The bill also prohibits health benefit plan insurers from requesting or requiring a genetic test and from disclosing genetic information without prior written authorization. Penalties for violations are set forth. Measure failed.

New Hampshire Privacy Died

Prohibits private entities from requiring an individual to disclose or provide biometric data, including DNA, as a condition of doing business with, engaging in any business activity or relationship with, or obtaining services from that private entity, unless the good, service, or activity provided by the private entity cannot be provided without the collection of biometric information from an individual. A private entity may not collect, use, or retain the biometric information of an individual without the individual's consent and shall not condition access to its good, service, or activity on the provision of biometric data. Died.

New York Health Insurance Coverage Died

Every policy that provides medical coverage, including coverage for physician services in a physician's office, and every policy that provides major medical or similar comprehensive coverage must cover the cost of genetic testing and any subsequent treatment resulting from the results of the genetic test for people who are, in the opinion of a physician, at significant risk of contracting cancer. 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.

Utah Privacy Died

Requires government agencies to provide an annual report to the state auditor detailing the collection, use, and disclosure of personally identifying information, including DNA. Died.

Wisconsin Health Insurance Nondiscrimination Died

In selecting patients with whom to enter into a direct primary care agreement, a health care provider may not discriminate on the basis of genetic information. 4/1/2020 Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1.

Arizona Other Topics Died

Prohibits placing an inmate in isolated confinement based on certain factors, including genetic information. Died.

Virginia Health Insurance Nondiscrimination Died

This bill prohibits the treatment of genetic information as a preexisting condition in the Small Employer Health Insurance Exchange in the absence of a diagnosis of the condition related to such information. Measure failed.

California Health Insurance Nondiscrimination Died

Creates the Healthy California Board, which is responsible for the establishment of the Healthy California program to provide comprehensive universal single-payer health care coverage and a health care cost control system for the benefit of all residents of the state. Consistent with the Unruh Civil Rights Act, the Board must promote nondiscrimination with respect to members and health care providers on the basis of genetic information and other characteristics. Died.

Georgia Employment Nondiscrimination, Other Lines of Insurance Nondiscrimination, Privacy Died

This bill creates guidelines such as consent requirements for the creation and storage of biometric information, which is defined to include DNA samples. The bill also prohibits life insurers from requiring genetic information to determine an applicants eligibility or rates to be charged for life insurance; however, any pre-existing genetic information must be supplied to the insurance company upon application. The bill forbids employers or employment agencies from using information derived from genetic testing for identification purposes or as a condition of employment. The bill provides remedies for individuals whose genetic information is inappropriately used. Measure failed.

Louisiana Employment Nondiscrimination Died

Retains present law and extends the definition of "discriminatory practice in connection with employment" to include all of the discrimination statutes in present law, which would add veterans, pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions, sickle cell trait, and genetic information. Died.

Maryland Health Insurance Nondiscrimination Died

Establishes the Healthy Maryland Program. Requires the Board to establish requirements and standards to consistent with state nondiscrimination laws, including those pertaining to genetic information. Participating providers may not refuse to provide health care services on the basis of genetic information. Died.

Maryland Privacy Died

Amends statute requiring a business that maintains personal information of an individual residing in the State to implement and maintain certain security procedures and practices. The bill adds the following to the definition of personal information: genetic information with respect to an individual, including the genetic sample of an individual; the genetic test of an individual; the genetic test of an individual's family member; the manifestation of a disease or disorder in a family member of an individual; any request for and receipt of genetic counseling, or genetic education; and any information derived from genetic information with respect to an individual. In the Senate - First Reading Finance. Died.

Minnesota Other Topics Died

This bill requires any person who provides a specimen collection kit to a resident of Minnesota for the purpose of collecting genetic material to perform a genetic test to first provide the resident with the disclosure, as described in the legislation. The bill also requires a study to determine which companies and laboratories are providing direct-to-consumer genetic tests to Minnesota residents. Measure failed.

Montana Health Insurance Nondiscrimination Died

Health insurance issuers offering individual health_insurance_coverage may not establish rules for eligibility, including continued eligibility, of any individual based on a health status-related factor, including genetic information, of the individual or a dependent of the individual. 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 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.

Tennessee Privacy Died

Allows the recipient of an organ transplant and referral hospital to examine all genetic records of the donor or prospective donor unless prohibited by any other law. Died.

West Virginia Privacy Died

The Division of Motor Vehicles or other state agency or department charged with motor vehicle registration or operation, the issuance or renewal of driver licenses or the issuance or renewal of any identification cards, must modify applications to include an exemption for a biometric and social security number religious exemption. Biometric data is defined to include DNA and RNA. Died.

Connecticut Health Insurance Coverage Died

Requires health_insurance_coverage, without any out-of-pocket expense, for: (1) diagnostic and screening mammograms, breast ultrasounds and magnetic resonance imaging of breasts for all insureds; (2) breast biopsies for all insureds, and (3) prophylactic mastectomies and breast reconstruction surgery for all insureds who have the harmful variant of breast cancer gene one (BRCA1), breast cancer gene two (BRCA2) or any similar gene variant that materially increases breast cancer risk. 1/27/2021 Referred to Joint Committee on Insurance and Real Estate.

Illinois Privacy Died

Amends the Genetic Information privacy Act provisions concerning uses and disclosures. Provides that various uses or disclosures of a patient's genetic information may not (rather than may) occur without the patient's consent. Died.

Maryland Privacy Died

Allows the Motor Vehicle Administration to offer enhanced identification. An individual who applies for enhanced identification may be asked to provide biometric identification, which is defined to include DNA. 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