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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
Connecticut Health Insurance Coverage Died

Adds tomosynthesis to health_insurance_coverage requirements if a woman is believed to be at increased risk for breast cancer due to family history or prior personal history of breast cancer, positive genetic testing or other indications as determined by a woman's physician or advanced practice registered nurse. Died.

Idaho Privacy Died

Unless explicitly mandated by federal statute, a state agency, district or education institution must obtain written consent from parents or eligible students before collecting biometric records, defined to include a DNA sequence. Died.

Maryland Employment Nondiscrimination Died

This bill amends the employment discrimination law to state that an unlawful employment practice is established, including discrimination based on genetic information, when the complainant demonstrates that genetic information was a motivating factor for any employment practice even though other factors motivated the practice. Measure failed.

Massachusetts Health Insurance Coverage Died

Requires coverage for the diagnosis of Alfi's Syndrome, including genetic testing. 7/18/2018 Accompanied a study order, see H4778.

Mississippi Health Insurance Nondiscrimination Died

This bill creates the genetic nondiscrimination in health insurance act. No health benefit plan may cancel, deny or refuse to renew benefits or coverage based on genetic information. This bill also places restrictions on health benefit plan's ability to request or require disclosure of genetic information. Measure failed.

New Hampshire Privacy Died

Grants consumers the right to request that a business disclose the type of personal information it collects, the purpose for which it is collected, and the categories of third parties with which it is shared. Authorizes consumers to opt out of the sale of their personal information. Personal information is defined to include biometric information such as an individual's DNA. 10/29/2020 Interim Study Report: Recommended for Future Legislation (Vote 10-5). Died.

New York Use of Residual Newborn Screening Specimens Died

This bill requires written parental consent to store a newborn's test, blood spot or other genetic information for any purpose other than newborn screening. Died.

North Carolina Other Topics Died

Prohibits unlawful discriminatory practice based on protected status, including genetic information. Died.

Utah Privacy Died

Requires a government agency to make an annual report to the state auditor regarding: the government agency's collection, use, and disclosure of personal identifying information; any misuse or improper disclosure of personal identifying information; and measures taken to notify individuals of any misuse or improper disclosure. Personal identifying information includes DNA. 3/5/2021 House filed.

Wisconsin Employment Nondiscrimination Died

Allows the Department of Workforce Development or an individual who is alleged or was found to have been discriminated against or subjected to unfair honesty or genetic testing to bring an action in circuit court in addition to or in lieu of filing an administrative complaint, with some exceptions. 4/1/2020 Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1.

Arkansas Privacy Died

Enacts the Parents' Bill of Rights. A parent must consent in writing before a biometric scan of a minor child or a record of a minor child's blood or DNA is created, shared, or stored. April 2, 2015 Recommended for study in the Interim by Joint Interim Committee on JUDICIARY COMMITTEE- HOUSE

Florida Health Insurance Nondiscrimination Died

Creates Healthy Florida Program for purpose of comprehensive universal single-payer health care coverage. The Board of the program must establish requirements and standards to promote nondiscrimination, including based on genetic information. Died.

Kentucky Privacy Died

Requires certain information holders to encrypt personally identifiable data, which is defined to include a genetic print. Information holders must report a breach of personally identifiable information to consumers. Died.

Maryland Privacy Died

A business that owns or licenses computerized data that includes personal information such as genetic information of an individual must conduct a reasonable and prompt investigation upon the breach of the security of a system. April 3, 2019 Unfavorable Report by Finance.

Michigan Employment Nondiscrimination Died

Requires employers of 50 or more individuals to post a notice that wage discrimination based on genetic information is prohibited under federal law. Died.

Maryland Privacy Died

Requires certain private entities in possession of biometric identifiers or biometric information to develop a written policy, made available to the public, establishing a certain retention schedule and guidelines for permanently destroying biometric identifiers and biometric information. Biometric identifier is defined to includes a genetic print. The bill defines confidential and sensitive to include a genetic marker and genetic testing information. In the House - Withdrawn by Sponsor. Died.

Minnesota Privacy Died

This bill amends the definition of genetic test in the statutes regarding government data practices. Measure failed.

Montana Other Lines of Insurance Nondiscrimination Died

Creates the Montana family and medical leave insurance fund. Applicants for coverage must provide eligibility documentation. The department may not require documentation that exceeds the right to privacy allowed under HIPAA, the ADA and GINA. Died.

New York Research Died

This bill regulates the use of human subjects for medical research and experimentation, including subjects with mental disorders and children. Measure failed.

New York Research Died

Authorizes human research in compliance with federal law. Substituted by S6488. Senate substitute signed by the Governor on 9/13/19.

Tennessee Privacy Died

Allows the recipient of an organ transplant and referral hospital to examine all genetic records of the donor or prospective donor unless prohibited by any other law. Died.

West Virginia Privacy Died

Creates a Longitudinal Data System, which links child care, student and workforce unit record data, and governing board of the system. The governing board must prohibit the collection of confidential information, which includes genetic information. Died.

Connecticut Health Insurance Coverage Died

Requires individual health insurance policies to provide coverage for diagnostic and screening mammograms under certain circumstances. Positive genetic testing for the harmful variant of breast cancer gene one, breast cancer gene two or any other gene variant that materially increases the insured's risk for breast cancer fulfills the criteria for required coverage. Died.

Illinois Privacy Died

Amends the Genetic Information privacy Act provisions concerning uses and disclosures for treatment, payment, health care operations, health oversight activities, and public health activities; uses and disclosures of information to a health information exchange; business associates; and establishment and disclosure of limited data sets and de-identified information. Provides that various uses or disclosures of a patient's genetic information may not (rather than may) occur without the patient's consent. Died.

Maryland Other Lines of Insurance Nondiscrimination Died

For a stop-loss insurance policy or contract issues to a small employer, a medical stop-loss insurer may not increase cost-sharing or decrease coverage for a specific individual within the plan or exclude any employee or dependent base on an actual or expected health-status related factor, including genetic information. Died.

Massachusetts Other Topics Died

Pertains to municipal master plans. Master plans developed should take into account to the extent feasible ways in which future policies and programs can advance equity based on various factors such as genetic information. Died.

Mississippi Privacy Died

Allows parents to opt out of certain activities conducted by the public school districts, including the collection of biometric information. Biometric information is defined to include DNA. 2/23/2016 (S) Died In Committee.

New Jersey Privacy Died

This bill sets forth privacy protections for personally identifiable information collected by businesses. Personally identifiable information includes biometric data such as DNA. Died.

New York Health Insurance Coverage Died

The bill requires accident and health insurance policies to cover the cost of genetic testing for people with a family history of cancer when the attending physician determines the person has a significant risk of cancer. Died.

Oklahoma Privacy Died

This bill prohibits collection or retention of biometric data in connection with motor vehicle registration or operation, the issuance or renewal of driver licenses or the issuance or renewal of any identification cards by any department or agency of this state charged with those activities. Died.

Virginia Health Insurance Nondiscrimination Died

This bill prohibits the establishment of rules for eligibility or continued eligibility based on a health status-related factor, including genetic information, in Virginia share health insurance policies. This bill also prohibits pre-existing condition exclusions in these policies based on genetic information in the absence of a diagnosis of a condition related to such information. Measure failed.

California Employment Nondiscrimination Died

Prohibits discrimination in a digital marketplace or otherwise acting upon applications to participate with a digital marketplace as a marketplace contractor based on an individual's genetic characteristics. Died.

Georgia Health Insurance Nondiscrimination Died

This bill prohibits a health group cooperative from excluding a small employer based on a health status-related factor, including genetic information in relation to an employee or dependent of an employee. Measure failed.

Louisiana Health Insurance Coverage Died

Requires coverage of cancer treatment targeting a specific genetic mutation. Prohibits a health coverage plan from denying coverage for a medically necessary drug on the basis that the drug is not indicated for the location in the body of the patient's cancer, if the drug is FDA approved for the treatment of the specific mutation of the patient's cancer. Died.

Maryland Privacy Died

Amends the Personal Information Protection Act by adding activity tracking data to the scope of protected information. Activity tracking data is defined to include genetic information; genetic samples; genetic tests of an individual or family member; and requests for or receipt of a genetic test, genetic counseling or genetic education. Died.

California Other Topics Died

A certified peace officer must have their certificate suspended or revoked, and an applicant must have their application for a certificate denied, upon a determination that the peace officer or applicant meets certain conditions. Requires the development of a definition of �serious misconduct," which will serve as the criteria to be considered for suspension or revocation of a certificate. This definition must include certain examples of serious misconduct such as bias in the performance of a peace officer or custodial officer�s duties, including, but not limited to, verbal statements, writings, online posts, recordings, and gestures involving prejudice or discrimination against a person on the basis of genetic information. Carries over to 2022.

Hawaii Health Insurance Coverage Died

Requires accident and health or sickness insurers to provide coverage for genetic counseling and testing related to the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genetic mutation, if indicated. Died.

Maryland Health Insurance Nondiscrimination, Other Lines of Insurance Nondiscrimination Died

This bill repeals an exemption for disability insurance under the state genetic nondiscrimination law and amends the definition of genetic information used in the health_insurance_nondiscrimination law. Measure failed.

Massachusetts Research Died

This bill states that any public health surveillance activity which is also research is subject to the requirements for research using human subjects. Died.

Minnesota Privacy Died

Businesses must conduct risk assessments of processing activities that involve sensitive consumer data, including genetic data. Died.

New Hampshire Privacy Died

Declares that an individual's genetic information and DNA sample are the property of the individual. Committee Report: Referred to Interim Study, 05/05/2016.

New York Other Lines of Insurance Nondiscrimination Died

This bill prohibits discrimination based on genetic characteristics in life and disability insurance. Measure failed.

New York Privacy Died

Imposes requirements for the collection and use of emergency health data and personal information and the use of technology to aid during the COVID-19 public health emergency. Requires entities using technology to get consent from individuals and to disclose certain information including the right to privacy and who will have access to the data. Emergency health data is defined to include genetic data. Died.

Texas Other Topics Died

Proposes a Constitutional Amendment providing for the recognition of equal rights of all people. States that equality under the law may not be denied or abridged based on numerous factors, including genetic information. Died.

Wisconsin Employment Nondiscrimination Died

Permits the Department of Workforce Development (DWD) or a person who has been discriminated against or subjected to unfair honesty or genetic testing to bring an action in circuit court to recover compensatory and punitive damages caused by the act of discrimination or unfair honesty or genetic testing after the completion of all administrative proceedings before DWD and the Labor and Industry Review Commission concerning the violation. 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 Neonatal sequencing Died

Children?s Medical Services Program; Deleting a requirement that the Department of Health consult with the Department of Education before prescribing certain newborn testing and screening requirement...

Iowa Use of Residual Newborn Screening Specimens Died

Requires the Center for Congenital and Inherited Disorders to adopt rules to prohibit the retention and ensure proper disposal of residual newborn screening specimens. The Center must incinerate any residual specimens being stored before the effective date of the bill. Died.

Maryland Health Insurance Nondiscrimination Died

Establishing Healthy Maryland as a public corporation and a unit of State government to provide comprehensive universal health coverage for every Maryland resident. The Health Maryland Board must develop rules to promote nondiscrimination with respect to genetic information among members and providers. Died.

Massachusetts Privacy Died

Prohibits an agency, executive office, department, board, commission, bureau, division or authority of the commonwealth or a political subdivision thereof, or any agent, contractor or subcontractor thereof, from acquiring, possessing, accessing or using any biometric surveillance system or any information derived from a biometric surveillance system operated by another entity. Allows certain exceptions such as the use of facial recognition technology by the registrar or motor vehicles. Biometric data is defined to include deoxyribonucleic acid. 7/14/20 Passed to be engrossed. Reprinted as amended, see S2820. 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