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The Genome Statute and Legislation Database is comprised of state statutes and bills introduced during the 2002-2024 U.S. state legislative sessions.

Overview

NHGRI's Table of State Statutes Related to Genomics provides the total number of states that have enacted legislation on the topics in the database, together with a description of each topic. 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
Washington Other Topics Died

Restricts genome editing of human embryos. Died.

California Health Insurance Nondiscrimination Died

Creates the California Guaranteed Health Care for All program, or CalCare, 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. Declares that all California residents regardless of various characteristics, including genetic information, are entitled to full and equal accommodations, advantages, facilities, privileges, or services in all health care providers participating in CalCare. Carries over to 2022.

Hawaii Privacy, Research Died

The bill establishes requirements for the privacy of protected health information, including genetic information. Entities addressed in the bill include health care providers, health care data organizations, health plans, health oversight agencies, public health authorities, employers, insurers, health researchers, or edu�ational institutions. Died.

Maine Health Insurance Coverage Died

As introduced, a health plan must provide coverage for risk assessment for a BRCA gene mutation and genetic counseling or testing, if necessary. Died.

Massachusetts Health Insurance Coverage Died

Requires health_insurance_coverage of screening breast ultrasounds and breast MRI, in addition to mammograms, if the patient is at increased risk of cancer based on certain factors such as positive genetic testing. 7/18/2018 Accompanied a study order, see H4778.

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

When an individual consents to receive assistance from a health or social service agency in the state, the consent given to the initial health or social service agency to use the individual's personal information may not be transferred to or retained by any other health or social service agency, network, or entity. No health or social service agency in the state may require a individual's consent to share personal information with another health or social service agency in the state or another state as a prerequisite for such individual to receive services from such health or social service agency, including consent to share details regarding which health or social service agency the individual has received help from in the past and associated information related to that interaction. A health or social service agency must explicitly and in writing inform any individual seeking such assistance that lack of consent will not affect the individual's ability to receive health or social services from the agency and that the individual will not be otherwise penalized. Personal information is defined to include DNA. Hearing on 2/08/2021. Carries over to 2022.

New York Research Died

This bill regulates the use of human subjects for medical research and experimentation, including subjects with mental disorders and children. The bill addresses exclusion or inclusion of subjects to participate in human research based on race, ethnicity or sex; requires reporting certain information relating to the collection of data, and provides that no greater than minimal risk non-therapeutic human research may be conducted on a child without consent of a parent or guardian. 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

Relates to the capture and use of an individual's biometric identifiers, specimen, or genetic information by a governmental body or peace officer or by a person for commercial purposes. Died.

Wisconsin Employment Nondiscrimination Died

Addresses actions in circuit court alleging discrimination in employment, unfair honesty testing, or unfair genetic testing. 3/28/2018 Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1.

Alabama Privacy Died

Creates the Alabama Consumer privacy Act. Allows a consumer to request that a business: (1) disclose personal information that it collects; (2) delete certain personal information; (3) disclose the sale of certain personal information to third parties; and (4) allow a consumer to opt out of the sale of personal information. Prohibits a business from retaliating against a consumer for making a request for disclosure or for opting out and from selling the personal information of a consumer under 18 years of age. Personal information is defined to include biometric information such as DNA. Died.

Florida Health Insurance Coverage Died

This bill requires individual and group health insurers to provide benefits or coverage for periodic colorectal cancer examinations and laboratory tests for individuals over 50 and for individuals under 50 who are considered high risk. Definition of high risk includes individuals who, because of the presence of recognized genetic markers, face a higher than normal risk of colorectal cancer. Measure failed.

Indiana Privacy Died

Establishes requirements regarding student education records, personally identifiable information of a student, and certain other information concerning a student. Personally identifiable information includes a DNA sequence. 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.

Vermont Employment Nondiscrimination, Health Insurance Nondiscrimination, Other Topics, Other Lines of Insurance Nondiscrimination Died

Prohibits discrimination based on an individual�s genetic information in relation to employment, labor relations, insurance coverage, and the provision of social and medical services. 1/13/2021 Read 1st time & referred to Committee on Economic Development, Housing and General Affairs. Carries over to 2022.

Arizona Privacy Died

Establishes requirements for controllers upon the receipt of a verified request from consumers to exercise their rights with respect to the processing of personal data, including genetic data for the purpose of uniquely identifying a person. Died.

Florida Privacy Died

Enacts 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. Died.

Kentucky Health Insurance Coverage Died

Establishes mandated coverage requirements of genetic testing for mutations of the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes for insured who are at risk of breast cancer or ovarian cancer or who have been diagnosed with breast or ovarian cancer under the age of forty. Died.

Maryland Privacy Died

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

Maryland Other Topics Died

Prohibits a hospital from withholding financial assistance or from denying a patient's application for financial assistance based on genetic information. Died.

Minnesota Privacy, Research Died

This bill creates personal property rights human biological specimens, defined as tissues, organs and body parts from which DNA may be isolated and requires written informed consent for the use of biological specimens in medical or genetic research. Consent forms must provide at least three options, including consent for a specific research project, consent for future research projects that are yet undefined, or consent for future research projects that are yet undefined, contingent on the research entity returning to seek specific written informed consent if the project is or could be considered controversial. The bill allows limited use of biological specimens for the calibration of laboratory equipment. Measure failed.

Montana Health Insurance Nondiscrimination Died

A health insurance issuer offering individual health_insurance_coverage in this state may not establish rules for eligibility or adjust premiums for any individual or individual's dependent to enroll in individual health_insurance_coverage based on genetic information. Individual health insurance issuers also may not impose any preexisting condition exclusion on the basis of genetic information or request or require an individual or a family member of an individual to undergo a genetic test. Died in Standing Committee.

New York Health Insurance Coverage Died

This bill requires health insurers to cover genetic testing of persons with a family history of cancer when the attending physician determines such person has a significant risk of cancer. Measure failed.

New York Health Insurance Coverage Died

Requires health insurance policies to cover comprehensive screening for ovarian cancer for persons at high risk, including genetic testing. Died.

Displaying 251 - 275 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. 

  • 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: September 14, 2023