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 Primary Link Topic(s) Bill Status Summary
Delaware Research, Use of Residual Newborn Screening Specimens Enacted

Amends the provision pertaining to use of stored blood specimens. Removes language permitting the Division of Public Health use of specimens for (1) quality assurance or performance improvement activities, including pilot studies, when a new disorder is being considered for addition to the panel; or (2) any other purpose authorized by law. research use in population based studies of de-identified specimens is permitted with parental consent. However, an amendment to the existing statute requires the destruction of blood specimens after screening and testing are complete. Signed by the Governor on 9/15/2021. Effective upon Governor's signature.

Delaware Privacy Pending

Seeks to provide consumers with critical information about how their personal information is being used by data brokers. Data brokers must register with the Consumer Protection Unit of the Department of Justice and answer questions regarding their use of personal information that would be published online to inform consumers. Data brokers are required annually to complete an electronic form designated by the Director of Consumer Protection. Data brokers must report on the form the types of consumer data, including genetic data, collected directly from consumers and from consumers� devices. Carries over to 2022.

Florida Privacy Enacted

Creates the Parents' Bill of Rights. Parental rights include the right to consent in writing before any record of his or her minor child's blood or deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is created, stored, or shared, except as required by general law or authorized pursuant to a court order. 6/29/21 Approved by the Governor. Effective 7/1/2021.

Florida Privacy, Research Enacted

Prohibits a person to from willfully, and without express consent: (1) collecting or retaining another person's DNA sample with the intent to perform DNA analysis; (2) submitting another person's DNA sample for analysis or conducting or procuring the conduct of another person's DNA analysis; (3) disclosing another person's DNA analysis result to a third party; and (4) selling or otherwise transferring another person's DNA sample or the results of another person's DNA analysis to third party, regardless of whether the DNA sample was originally collected, retained, or analyzed with express consent. The bill provides exemptions for certain activities such as research subject to, and conducted in compliance with, 45 C.F.R. part 46, 21 C.F.R. parts 50 and 56, or 45 C.F.R. parts 160 and 164. 6/19/2021 Approved by the Governor. Effective 10/1/2021.

Florida Privacy Died

Creates the Florida privacy Protection Act. Requires collectors to provide notice to consumers about data collection and selling practices. Provides consumers right to request data be disclosed, deleted, or corrected and to opt-in or opt-out of sale or sharing of such data. Provides nondiscrimination measures, methods for requesting data and opting-in or opting-out of sale or sharing of such data, private cause of action, enforcement, and jurisdiction. Personal information is defined to include biometric information such as DNA. 4/30/21 Died in returning messages.

Florida Other Topics, Privacy Died

This bill prohibits DNA analysis and disclosure of DNA analysis results without authorization; prohibits the collection or retention of a DNA sample of another person without authorization for specified purposes; prohibits specified DNA analysis and disclosure of DNA analysis results without authorization, etc.

Florida Privacy Died

Creates the Florida privacy Protection Act. Requires certain businesses that collect consumer personal information to provide certain information to the consumer. Provides that consumers have the right to direct certain businesses not to sell their personal information. Prohibits businesses from selling the personal information of consumers younger than a specified age without express authorization from the consumer or the consumer�s parent or guardian under certain circumstances. Authorizes consumers to initiate civil actions for violations. Personal information is defined to include biometric information such as DNA. 4/28/21 Read 2nd time. Substituted CS/CS/CS/HB 969 (Died in returning Messages). Laid on Table - SJ 753.

Florida Privacy Died

Creates the Parents' Bill of Rights. Parental rights include the right to consent in writing before any record of his or her minor child's blood or deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is created, stored, or shared, except as required by general law or authorized pursuant to a court order. 4/21/2021 Senate Laid on Table, companion bill passed, see HB 241 (Ch. 2021-199) SJ 547.

Georgia Other Lines of Insurance Nondiscrimination Pending

Prohibits life and long-term care insurers that receive information from genetic testing from using the information for any non-therapeutic purpose, including, but not limited to, canceling, limiting, or denying coverage or establishing differentials in premium rates. These insurers also may not require or solicit genetic information, use genetic testing results, or consider a person's decisions or actions related to genetic testing in any manner for any insurance purpose. Carries over to 2022 session.

Hawaii Employment Nondiscrimination, Other Topics Pending

Prohibits discrimination in employment and public accomodation based on an individual's invasive medical test status. Invasive medical test status is defined to include a medical test or screening that requires a sample of an individual's genetic material. Carries over to 2022 session.

Hawaii Health Insurance Coverage Pending

Requires every group policy of accident and health or sickness insurance and every individual or group hospital or medical service plan contract to provide coverage for screening to determine whether counseling and testing related to the BRCAl or BRCA2 genetic mutation is indicated and genetic counseling and testing related to the BRCAl or BRCA2 genetic mutation, if indicated. Carries over to 2022 session.

Hawaii Privacy Pending

Amends the definition of personal information for the purpose of applying modern security breach of personal information law. Personal information is defined as an identifier in combination with one or more specified data elements. Specified data elements include a deoxyribonucleic profile. Carries over to 2022 session.

Hawaii Health Insurance Coverage Pending

Requires every group policy of accident and health or sickness insurance and every individual or group hospital or medical service plan contract to provide coverage for screening to determine whether counseling and testing related to the BRCAl or BRCA2 genetic mutation is indicated and genetic counseling and testing related to the BRCAl or BRCA2 genetic mutation, if indicated. Carries over to 2022 session.

Illinois Health Insurance Coverage Enacted

An individual or group health care service plan contract that is issued, amended, delivered, or renewed on or after January 1, 2022 may not require prior authorization for biomarker testing for an insured with advanced or metastatic stage 3 or 4 cancer, nor shall prior authorization be required for biomarker testing of cancer progression or recurrence in the insured with advanced or metastatic stage 3 or 4 cancer. Biomarker testing is defined as analysis of tissue blood or fluid specimen for the presence of a biomarker. Biomarker testing includes, but not limited to, single-analyte tests, multiplex tests, and partial or whole genome sequencing. 7/30/21 Governor approved. Effective 1/1/2022.

Illinois Health Insurance Coverage Enacted

Provides that an individual or group policy of accident and health insurance or managed care plan that is amended, delivered, issued, or renewed on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act must provide coverage for medically necessary comprehensive cancer testing and testing of blood or constitutional tissue for cancer predisposition testing as determined by a physician. Comprehensive cancer testing includes, but is not limited to, the following forms of testing: (1) targeted cancer gene panels; (2) whole-exome genome testing; (3) whole genome testing; (4) RNA sequencing; and (5) tumor mutation burden. 8/27/21 Approved by the Governor. Effective 1/1/2022.

Illinois Privacy Died

Amends the Personal Information Protection Act. Provides that individuals and entities have intellectual property rights in their digital identity assets. Provides for the payment of royalties to individuals and entities for access, for the purpose of commercial advertising, to their digital assets. Digital assets include, but are not limited to, information accumulated regarding an individual's or entity's personal information. Personal information includes medical history such as RNA and DNA profiles and genetic history. Carries over to 2022 session.

Iowa Health Insurance Nondiscrimination Pending

A participating healthcare provider or participating care coordinators may not refuse to provide health care services to a member of the Health Iowa Program on the basis of various characteristics, including genetic information. The board for the Health Iowa Program must adopt rules to promote nondiscrimination with respect to members and health care providers on the basis of various factors, including genetic information. Carries over to 2022 session.

Kentucky Health Insurance Nondiscrimination Died

Establishes health-status eligibility rules for health benefit plans in any market. Prohibits requiring a greater premium or contribution, or different benefits coverage, on the basis of any health status-related factor, including genetic information. Prohibits pre-existing condition exclusions. Prohibits adjustment of premium or contribution amounts for group health plans on the basis of genetic information. Died.

Kentucky Other Topics Died

Requires a health facility that provides perinatal care to provide each patient, upon admission or as soon thereafter as reasonably practical, written information regarding the patient's rights, including the right to be free from discrimination on the basis of genetic information. Died.

Louisiana Other Lines of Insurance Nondiscrimination Died

Applies provisions that prohibit the use of genetic testing for health insurance and underwriting purposes to life and long-term care insurance policies. Applies prohibitions for unfair or deceptive acts or practices on the basis of genetic information to life and long-term care insurance policies. Died.

Louisiana Other Lines of Insurance Nondiscrimination Enacted

Applies provisions that prohibit the use of genetic testing for health insurance and underwriting purposes to life and long-term care insurance policies. Applies prohibitions for unfair or deceptive acts or practices on the basis of genetic information to life and long-term care insurance policies. 6/11/21 Signed by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 242. Effective August 1, 2021.

Louisiana Health Insurance Coverage Enacted

Requires health_insurance_coverage for annual MRI at age 25 and annual mammography at age 30 for women with a hereditary susceptibility to breast cancer based on pathogenic mutation carrier status. 6/1/21 Signed by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 45. Effective 1/1/2022.

Louisiana Health Insurance Coverage Enacted

Requires any health coverage plan renewed, delivered or issued for delivery in Louisiana to provide coverage for genetic or molecular testing for cancer including but not limited to tumor mutation testing, next generation sequencing, hereditary germline mutation testing, pharmacogenomic testing, whole exome and genome sequencing, and biomarker testing. 6/1/21 Signed by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 43. Effective 1/1/2022.

Maine Health Insurance Nondiscrimination, Other Lines of Insurance Nondiscrimination Died

In the absence of a medical diagnosis of a disease, disorder or syndrome related to genetic information, a health insurer, life insurer or long-term care insurer may not cancel, limit or deny coverage or establish differentials in premium rates based on such genetic information. A health insurer, life insurer or long-term care insurer may not request, require, purchase or otherwise solicit genetic information; use genetic test results; or consider an individual's decisions or actions relating to genetic testing in any manner for any insurance purpose. 6/10/2021 Reports Read. On motion by Senator Sanborn of Cumberland the Majority Ought Not to Pass. Report accepted. In concurrence. Placed in Legislative Files. 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.

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