NHGRI logo

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 Sort descending Primary Link Topic(s) Bill Status Summary
New Jersey Privacy Died

Prohibits governmental collection of biometric identifiers without consent, including DNA. Died.

New Jersey Privacy Died

Establishes personal property rights to DNA samples and genetic information resulting from DNA analysis. Requires consent for use of samples and information from person sampled or analyzed. Died.

New Jersey Employment Nondiscrimination Died

Creates the State Anti-Harassment and Workplace Discrimination Act. Declares that it is an unlawful employment practice and unlawful discrimination, for any person, whether an employee or applicant for employment, or intern or volunteer, in any State agency or Gubernatorial Transition Office, or person doing business with the State to discriminate against or harass an employee or applicant for employment, or intern or volunteer, based upon certain protected categories, genetic information. Died.

New Jersey Privacy Died

Makes confidential any part of a 9-1-1 audio recording or transcript that discloses a person's health status, medical conditions, health care services or treatments, medical history, genetic information, or current health insurance plan information by excluding it from the definition of a government record. Died.

New Jersey Health Insurance Nondiscrimination Died

Expands the state law on discrimination by prohibiting any entity that operates a health program or activity from: 1. Excluding participation in, deny the benefits of, or otherwise discriminate under any health program or activity on the basis of an individual�s genetic information or 2. Aiding or perpetuating discrimination against any person by providing significant assistance to any entity or person that discriminates on the basis of genetic information. Died.

New Jersey Other Topics Died

Establishes New Jersey Pharmacogenomics Commission. 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 Mexico Employment Nondiscrimination Died

This bill enacts the Uniform Protection of Genetic Information in Employment Act on employee access to genetic information, confidentiality and retention of genetic information and disclosure of genetic information. Measure failed.

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 Mexico Employment Nondiscrimination, Health Insurance Nondiscrimination, Other Lines of Insurance Nondiscrimination, Privacy, Research Statute

The statutes contain provisions on the acquisition, collection, retention, transmission or use of genetic information. Consent requirements provide an exemption (1) if DNA, genetic information or results of genetic analysis are not identified with the person or person's family members or (2) for the purpose of medical or scientific research and education (including retention of gene products, genetic information or genetic analysis if the identity of the person or person's family members is not disclosed.) Discrimination by an insurer against a person or his/her family member based on genetic analysis, genetic information or genetic propensity is prohibited. Life, disability income or long-term care insurance are exempt if use is based on sound actuarial principles or related to actual or reasonably anticipated experience. Upon request a persons genetic information or samples must be promptly destroyed with some exceptions, including if retention is authorized under a research protocol approved by an institution review board pursuant to federal law. It is unlawful for a person to use genetic information in employment or recruiting. A person whose rights under the provisions of the Genetic Information privacy Act have been violated may bring a civil action for damages or other relief.

New Mexico Health Insurance Nondiscrimination Died

Prohibits pre-existing condition exclusions in qualified health plans in the New Mexico Health Insurance Exchange Act. Genetic information is not included as a preexisting condition for the purposes of limiting or excluding benefits in the absence of a diagnosis of the condition related to the genetic information. (Provision related to genetic information is in Committee Substitute version) Died.

New Mexico Other Topics Statute

If a firefighter is diagnosed with breast cancer after five years of employment, and if it is diagnosed before the age of forty without a breast cancer 1 or breast cancer 2 genetic predisposition to breast cancer, the disease is presumed to be proximately caused by employment as a firefighter.

New Mexico Health Insurance Coverage Died

An individual or group health insurance policy, health care plan or certificate of health insurance that is delivered or issued for delivery in New Mexico must provide certain benefits that have, in effect, a rating of "A" or "B" in the current recommendations of the United States preventive services task force, for various services, including genetic counseling and evaluation for breast cancer BRCA-gene testing for women whose family histories are associated with an increased risk for deleterious mutations in BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes. Died in Committee.

New Mexico Health Insurance Nondiscrimination Statute

A health benefit plan that is offered by a carrier or an approved health plan offered to a small employer and plans subject to the Health Insurance Portability Act may not impose a pre-existing condition exclusion based on genetic information in the absence of a diagnosis. A group health plan and a health insurance issuer offering group health_insurance_coverage may not establish rules for eligibility or continued eligibility based a health status-related factor, including genetic information. 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. Under the Small Group Rate and Renewability Act, provisions allowing a carrier to use health status in establishing the amount an employer may be charged for coverage under a group health plan exclude genetic information from the definition of health status.

New Mexico Employment Nondiscrimination, Privacy Died

Enacts the Uniform Protection of Genetic Information in Employment Act. The bill also amends the Genetic Information privacy Act. Died in Consumer and Public Affairs Committee.

New Mexico Privacy Died

Prohibits the disclosure of sensitive personal information by a state agency employee acquired by virtue of the employee's position with a state agency to anyone outside the state agency except under specified circumstances. Died.

New Mexico Privacy Enacted

This bill amends the Genetic Information privacy Act by adding an exemption for clinical laboratories with regard to consent requirements. A laboratory conducting an analysis or test of a specific individual per a written order from a health care practitioner or the health care practitioner's agent, including by electronic transmission, may obtain, retain, transmit, or use an individual's DNA, genetic information, or test results without the individual's written and informed consent. Signed by the Governor 4/10/2015.

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 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, 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 Coverage Died

Requires accident and health insurance policies to cover the cost of genetic testing of persons with a family history of cancer. Coverage must include testing and any subsequent treatment based on the results of the test for people with a significant risk of contracting cancer. Died.

New York Employment Nondiscrimination, Health Insurance Nondiscrimination, Other Lines of Insurance Nondiscrimination Died

This bill creates the genetics advisory council. The council, if created, will study and make recommendations on various issues, including unfair discrimination by employers and insurers. Measure failed.

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, Health Insurance Nondiscrimination, Other Lines of Insurance Nondiscrimination Died

This bill establishes a genetics advisory council to study various topics, including the use of any genetic test by insurers, employers or educational institutions, including the potential for compromising the individual liberties and civil rights of individuals or causing individuals to suffer unfair discrimination. Died.

New York Other Topics Enacted

Establishes a Hate Crime Task Force. The task force will issue reports and publications in conjunction with the Division on Human Rights to combat discrimination based on a variety of factors, including genetic predisposition status. 04/20/2017 Signed by the Governor Chapter 55.

Displaying 751 - 775 of 1160

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