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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 Hampshire Privacy Died

Adds biometric information to the Consumer Protection Act. 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.

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

Prohibits a state agency from disseminating to any person any personal data of an individual without the individual �s written consent. A state agency must retain the written consent of an individual obtained per certain requirements. A state agency may not require an individual to consent to dissemination of the individual�s personal data in exchange for access to the services provided by the agency or to the agency�s Internet website. 3/3/2021 Referred to Finance. 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.

Arizona Privacy Died

Allows the release of genetic testing and information derived from genetic testing to the following, if the necessary requirements are met: an individual or entity that provides services to a health care provider or clinical laboratory, a statewide health information exchange, the health insurance carrier of the person tested, a nationally recognized accreditation organization, a health professional licensing board in the state, and an entity that is responsible for the payment of a health care provider charges. Died.

Florida Other Lines of Insurance Nondiscrimination Died

Prohibits life insurers and long-term care insurers from canceling, limiting, or denying coverage, or establishing differentials in premium rates, based on genetic information, if there is no diagnosis of a condition related to the genetic information. The bill also prohibits these insurers from requiring or soliciting genetic information, using genetic test results, or considering a person�s decisions or actions relating to genetic testing for any insurance purpose. 3/10/2018 Died in Rules.

Kansas Privacy Died

The state board, the department of education, a unified school district or local education agency may not provide any personally identifiable information of any student or teacher, including a DNA sequence, to any federal agency, any Kansas state or local agency, state or local agency outside the state of Kansas, or any other organization or entity unless under specified circumstances. Died.

Maryland Privacy Died

Amends the definition of personal information used in the state data privacy act. Personally identifiable information is defined to include an individual's DNA. Died.

Michigan Privacy Died

This bill requires the Department of Community Health to develop a model written, informed consent form for genetic testing. Health care professionals must have test subjects complete the form prior to ordering genetic testing. Died.

Missouri Privacy Died

Requires state education agencies to obtain parental consent to collect biometric records from parents, K-12 students or through data sharing agreements with any other entity. Biometric records are defined to include DNA sequences. Died.

New Jersey Employment Nondiscrimination, Other Topics Died

Requires adoption of and training on anti-discrimination and anti-harassment policy by certain campaign committees. Protected category includes genetic information. Died.

New York Other Topics Died

Prohibits the distribution of consumers' DNA profiles submitted to direct-to-consumer genetic testing companies. Requires companies to provide a copy of their privacy policy to any consumer that submits a DNA sample and provides for civil penalties for violations of these provisions. Died.

South Carolina Health Insurance Nondiscrimination, Privacy, Research Died

This bill amends existing statute sections and creates new statute sections pertaining to health_insurance_nondiscrimination, genetic privacy, research issues and enforcement of these provisions. Measure failed.

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.

Colorado Privacy Died

This bill requires a state agency or educational institution to obtain consent from parents or eligible students prior to collecting certain data, including biometric records. Biometric records are defined to include DNA. Died.

Hawaii Health Insurance Coverage Died

Requires individual policies of accident and health or sickness insurance to provide coverage for genetic counseling and testing related to the BRCAl or BRCA2 genetic mutation, if indicated. Died.

Maryland Health Insurance Nondiscrimination, Other Lines of Insurance Nondiscrimination Died

This bill prohibits an insurer from requesting or requiring a genetic test or from using a genetic test, the results of a genetic test, genetic information, or a request for genetic services to deny or limit life insurance coverage or benefits or to charge a different rate for the same coverage or benefits under an annuity contract; defining terms; and providing for an exception if the use is based on sound actuarial principles. Measure failed.

Massachusetts Privacy Died

Adds biometric indicators to the state data security protection law. Biometric indicator is defined as 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. Died.

Massachusetts Other Topics Died

Prohibits a local or state administrative, legislative or regulatory body or instrumentality to engage in a discriminatory land use practice, including discrimination based on genetic information. Died.

Mississippi Employment Nondiscrimination Died

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

New Jersey Employment Nondiscrimination Died

A person may not refuse to refer a job seeker for employment or to discriminate against a job seeker in compensation or in terms, conditions or privileges of employment to which the job seeker is referred because of certain characteristics, including genetic information. Died.

New York Health Insurance Coverage Died

Requires health insurance policies to cover comprehensive genetic screening for breast, ovarian, prostate, colon and lung cancers, if recommended by a board-certified geneticist or board-certified genetic counselor. Died.

Ohio Health Insurance Nondiscrimination Died

This bill creates the Ohio Health Benefit Exchange. The exchange must meet the minimum requirements of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010. Died.

Vermont Other Topics, Privacy Died

Protects consumer privacy by requiring that a business that collects genetic data from a Vermont consumer to provide ancestry or similar information protects the data and keeps it confidential. Carries over to 2022.

Displaying 26 - 50 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