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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
Pennsylvania Coverage and reimbursement Approved

An Act amending the act of May 17, 1921 (P.L.682, No.284), known as The Insurance Company Law of 1921, in casualty insurance, further providing for coverage for mammographic examinations and diagnost...

Montana Neonatal sequencing Approved

Revise laws related to collection of genetic material for newborn screenings.

New Hampshire Genetic data storage/privacy/sharing (medicine) Approved

Relative to conditions for genetic testing.

Texas Genetic data storage/privacy/sharing (industry) Approved

Relating to an individual's genetic data, including the use of that data by certain genetic testing companies for commercial purposes and the individual's property right in DNA; authorizing a civil p...

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

Protects biometric information under the security breach law. Biometric information includes genetic information. Died.

Mississippi Employment Nondiscrimination, Health Insurance Nondiscrimination Died

Prohibits any employer or insurer from using the results of DNA testing against a patient or against the patient's consanguineous family members for any discriminatory purpose. Any employer who violates this section may, upon conviction, be fined up to Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) or imprisoned for not more than one (1) year, or both. 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 York Privacy Died

Prohibits the release of personally identifiable student information, including DNA sequence, where parental consent is not provided. Died.

North Dakota Health Insurance Coverage Died

Requires the public employees retirement board to provide coverage for the expenses of the diagnosis of infertility, fertility treatment, and standard fertility preservation services if recommended and medically necessary. Fertility treatment includes genetic testing. Died.

Vermont Health Insurance Coverage Died

Requires health insurance and Medicaid coverage for chromosomal microarray analysis. Died.

Wisconsin Privacy Died

Establishes requirements for businesses related to personal information such as biometric information collected about consumers. Biometric information is defined to include DNA. 4/1/2020 Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1.

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.

Minnesota Use of Residual Newborn Screening Specimens Died

This bill excludes the health department's collection, use, storage and dissemination of genetic information and blood specimens for testing infants for heritable and congenital disorders from the law governing genetic information collected by a government entity. The bill also requires that parents are provided information about how specimens may be used and allows parents to opt out of public health studies or research. Measure failed.

Montana Health Insurance Nondiscrimination Died

This bill amends the health insurance statutes and prohibits a group health plan or a health insurance issuer offering group health_insurance_coverage from imposing a preexisting condition exclusion on an individual under 19 years of age because of a preexisting condition. Genetic information may not be treated as a pre-existing condition under existing law. Measure failed.

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 York Employment Nondiscrimination Died

Establishes unlawful discriminatory practices relating to models, including discrimination based on predisposing genetic characteristics. Died.

Tennessee Privacy Died

Following discovery or notification of a breach of system security by an information holder, the information holder must disclose the breach of system security to any resident of the state whose personal information was, or is reasonably believed to have been, acquired by an unauthorized person. Personal information includes a DNA profile. Died.

Washington Privacy Died

Establishes the parent's bill of rights. Requirements set forth in the bill include parental written consent before any record of a minor child's blood or DNA is made, shared or stored unless required by law or court order. 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.

Nebraska Health Insurance Coverage Died

Requires individual or group sickness and accident insurance policies or subscriber contracts; hospital, medical, or surgical expense-incurred policies; and any self-funded employee benefit plan to the extent not preempted by federal law shall to provide coverage for screening digital breast tomosynthesis and digital magnetic resonance imaging if a woman 40 or older has positive genetic testing. 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 Health Insurance Coverage Died

Insurers that provide reimbursement or indemnity for laboratory or X-ray services must cover a comprehensive ultrasound screening of an entire breast or breasts if a woman is believed to be at increased risk for cancer due to positive genetic testing or other indications as determined by a woman's physician or advanced practice nurse. 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 Other Topics Died

Prohibits local or state administrative, legislative or regulatory body or instrumentality to from engaging in a discriminatory land use practice, including practices based on genetic information. 2/13/2020 In Senate. Accompanied a study order, see S2528. Died.

Mississippi Privacy Died

Allows parents to opt out of the collection, tracking, housing, reporting, selling, or sharing with any party outside of the local school district, of noneducational-related information on a child or his or her family, including a DNA sequence. 1/30/2018 Died in Committee.

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 York Other Topics Died

Establishes a genetics advisory council. Topics to be examined by the council include (1) creating an environment in which there is equitable access to the benefits of genetic tests to all citizens regardless of race, ethnicity or economic status; and (2) 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.

Oklahoma Health Insurance Coverage Died

Requires certain residents of long-term care facilities to have a pharmacogenomics profile conducted. The profile must include the results of at least eighteen genes tested and be accompanied by treatment guidance for each disease state-tested. Died.

Virginia Genetic data storage/privacy/sharing (industry) Died

Establishes requirements for direct-to-consumer genetic testing companies, including requirements related to information to be provided
to consumers, consent requirements, requirements related to sec...

Arizona Other Topics Died

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

Maryland Privacy Died

Amends the statute requiring certain units of State government to employ reasonable security procedures and practices. Proposed changes to the law include altering the definition of biometric information by removing the term genetic print and adding an individual's DNA to the definition. In the House - Hearing 3/31 at 1:30 p.m. Died.

Minnesota Other Topics Died

Establishes a genetic marker testing pilot program. The program is intended to refine the understanding of disease onset and progression, treatment response, and health outcomes through more precise measurement of genetic factors that contribute to health and disease. Died.

Massachusetts Privacy Died

The bill amends statute sections pertaining to the department of consumer affairs and business regulations relative to any person that owns or licenses personal information about a resident of the commonwealth. Changes add biometric information, including genetic information, to the types of personal information protected under the law. Died.

Minnesota Privacy Died

Establishes the parent's bill of rights. Requirements set forth in the bill include parental written consent before any record of a minor child's blood or DNA is made, shared or stored unless required by law or court order. Died.

New Hampshire Privacy Died

Prohibits the government from acquiring, retaining, collecting, or using personal information without express written consent with some exceptions such as if a warrant has been issued. Personal information includes DNA/RNA. Died.

New York Health Insurance Nondiscrimination Died

his bill defines the term "genetic predisposition" for purposes of individual and small group health insurance policies, requires that genetic predisposition be disregarded in community rating, and provides that no pre-existing condition exclusion in such a policy shall exclude coverage on the basis of any genetic predisposition. Measure failed.

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

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. 3/29/2021 Referred to House Public Health Committee. 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