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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 Sort descending Primary Link Topic(s) Bill Status Summary
Alabama Health Insurance Nondiscrimination, Other Lines of Insurance Nondiscrimination Statute

Health and disability insurers may not deny applicants insurance coverage because of a diagnosis of sickle cell anemia.

Alabama Health Insurance Nondiscrimination Statute

Health benefit plans, including the Alabama Medicaid Agency, may not require a genetic test to determine if a person has a predisposition to cancer as a condition of insurability or use the results of such a test to determine insurability or discriminate with respect to rates or benefits. The statutes set forth penalties for insurance companies or health maintenance organizations that violate the law.

Alabama Privacy Died

This bill creates the Genetic Information privacy Act. The bill establishes procedures for obtaining, disclosing and storing genetic information as well as penalties for unlawful disclosure. Measure failed.

Alabama Privacy Died

Prohibits state agencies, district boards of education, or pre K-12 educational institutions from administering any student survey, assessment, analysis, evaluation, or similar instrument that solicits information about the student or the student's family concerning biometric records, which is defined to include DNA sequences. Died.

Alabama Privacy Died

Prohibits state agencies, local education agencies, or local education institutions from administering any student survey, assessment, analysis, evaluation, or similar instrument that solicits certain information about the student or the family of the student, including biometric records. Biometric records are defined to include a DNA sequence. Died.

Alabama Privacy Died

Prohibits state agencies, local education agencies, or local education institutions from administering any student survey, assessment, analysis, evaluation, or similar instrument that solicits certain information about the student or the family of the student, including biometric records. Biometric records are defined to include a DNA sequence. Died.

Alabama Health Insurance Nondiscrimination, Other Lines of Insurance Nondiscrimination Died

Prohibits health benefit plans, life insurers, and long term care insurers from (1) using an individual's genetic information to deny him or her insurance or to establish differentials in premium rates, or (2) requiring or soliciting genetic information, using genetic test results, or considering an individual's decisions or actions relating to genetic testing in any manner for insurance purposes. Died.

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.

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.

Alaska Privacy Died

Establishes the Consumer Data privacy Act. Requires businesses to notify consumers before the collection of personal information. Consumers may opt out of the sale of personal information. Businesses must maintain privacy policies available online describing consumer's privacy rights such as the designated methods in which the consumer can request access or deletion of personal information. Biometric information, including deoxyribonucleic acid, is considered personal information. Carries over to 2022 session.

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.

Alaska Health Insurance Nondiscrimination Enacted

This bill requires health care insurers in the individual market to comply with genetic information nondiscrimination requirements established under 42 U.S.C. 300gg-53. Health care insurers in the group market must comply with genetic information nondiscrimination requirements established under 42 U.S.C. 300gg-1(b)(3), 42 U.S.C. 300gg-1(c) - (f), and 42 U.S.C. 300gg-91. Signed into law August 5, 2009.

Alaska Privacy Statute

This statute provides protections for the privacy of DNA samples and the results of DNA analysis. DNA samples and the results of DNA analysis are the exclusive property of the person sampled or analyzed. Samples collected and analyses conducted for the DNA registry, law enforcement purposes, paternity testing, newborn screening, and emergency medical treatment are exempt. The statute sets forth civi and criminal penalties for violations of the law.

Alaska Health Insurance Nondiscrimination Statute

Health care insurers offering individual or group plans must comply with the genetic information nondiscrimination requirements established under 42 USC 300gg-53, or 42 U.S.C. 300gg-1(b)(3), 42 U.S.C. 300gg-1(c) - (f), and 42 U.S.C. 300gg-91, respectively.

Alaska Health Insurance Nondiscrimination Statute

Health care insurers in the group market may not establish rules for eligibility or continued eligibility based on genetic information or impose preexisting condition exclusions based on genetic information in the absence of a diagnosis.

Alaska Privacy Died

Establishes the Consumer Data privacy Act. Requires businesses to notify consumers before the collection of personal information. Consumers may opt out of the sale of personal information. Businesses must maintain privacy policies available online describing consumer's privacy rights such as the designated methods in which the consumer can request access or deletion of personal information. Biometric information, including deoxyribonucleic acid, is considered personal information. Carries over to 2022 session.

Arizona Health Insurance Nondiscrimination Statute

Accountable health plans may not (1) deny, limit or condition coverage or benefits based on health status-related factors, including genetic information or (2) impose a pre-existing condition exclusion based on genetic information in the absence of a diagnosis.

Arizona Other Topics Died

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

Arizona Health Insurance Nondiscrimination, Other Lines of Insurance Nondiscrimination Statute

Life and disability insurers (disability insurance is defined in the statutes to include health insurers) may not refuse to consider an application on the basis of a genetic condition. Information about a genetic condition may not be used for underwriting or ratemaking of life and disability insurance policies unless supported by the applicants medical condition, medical history and either claims experience or actuarial projections. In the case of disability insurance the use of information about a genetic condition for underwriting or ratemaking purposes constitutes unfair discrimination in the absence of a diagnosis.

Arizona Privacy Statute

A person may not order or require the performance of a genetic test without written informed consent. Genetic test results may not be disclosed without the express consent of the subject of the test or the person authorized to consent for that person.

Arizona Health Insurance Coverage Died

This bill requires hospital or medical service corporations, health care service organizations, and individual, group and blanket disability insurers who provide health care coverage to pregnant women to cover the cost of genetic testing for thrombophilia if it is ordered by a physician. Measure failed.

Arizona Employment Nondiscrimination Statute

Employers may not discriminate against an individual based on genetic test results, notwithstanding professionally developed ability tests that are not designed to discriminate because of race, color, religion, sex or national origin.

Arizona Health Insurance Nondiscrimination Enacted

This bill amends existing law that prohibits health benefit plans from terminating coverage based on a health status-related factor, including genetic information, by adding a group disability policy or a certificate of insurance for a group disability policy that is not issued in the state of Arizona to the definition of "health benefit plan." Signed by the Governor on April 28, 2008.

Arizona Health Insurance Nondiscrimination Died

This bill prohibits health care service organizations from imposing pre-existing condition limitations or exclusions. Genetic conditions in the absence of a diagnosis related to the condition are not considered pre-existing conditions and may not result in a pre-existing condition limitation or exclusion. Measure failed.

Arizona Privacy Enacted

The bill establishes the right of parents to consent in writing before any record of the minor child's blood or deoxyribonucleic acid is created, stored or shared, with some exceptions such as for newborn screening. Signed by the Governor May 10, 2010.

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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. 

  • 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