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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
Mississippi Health Insurance Nondiscrimination Died

Creates the small business health insurance pool. Health benefit plans covering small employers may not exclude genetic information as a preexisting condition in the absence of a diagnosis of the condition related to the genetic information. 1/31/2017 Died in Committee.

New Jersey Other Topics Died

Establishes the New Jersey Pharmacogenomics Commission. Died.

New York Health Insurance Coverage Died

Requires policies that provide coverage for hospital, surgical or medical to cover screening for ovarian cancer, including genetic testing. Additional coverage is required if genetic testing is positive. Died.

Oklahoma Other Topics Died

The Office of Management and Enterprise Services must contract with a vendor to conduct a pilot project to determine incentives to both health care providers and patients for each care encounter in which the provider and patient incorporate genetic testing for ability to metabolize prescription drugs, drug testing of persons prescribed narcotics and other proven medical interventions made available and recorded through the program in the rendering and utilization of health care. 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.

Washington Privacy Died

Establishes protections for the use of biometric identifiers of an individual for commercial purposes. Biometric identifier is defined to include DNA. Died.

Connecticut Other Topics Died

Requires a study of the link between the abnormal genes associated with breast and ovarian cancers and the nerve death associated with Alzheimer's disease to improve diagnosis, risk assessment and treatment of disease. Died.

Illinois Employment Nondiscrimination, Privacy Died

This bill amends the Genetic Information privacy Act and makes technical changes to the section of the law pertaining to employers. Measure failed.

Maryland Other Topics Died

Creates the task force on pharmacogenomics to examine questions related to pharmacogenomics, including how the State can adopt genomic testing as the standard of care for patients. Died.

Massachusetts Privacy Died

Ensures patient privacy and control in health information exchanges by protecting health care information, including genetic information. 5/5/2016 Accompanied a study order, see H4242.

Minnesota Privacy Died

Establishes requirements with regard to collection, sale of, and access to personal information by businesses. Personal information is defined to include genetic information. Died.

New Hampshire Privacy Died

Provides that an individual has an expectation of privacy in personal information, including DNA/RNA and other identifying information unique to the individual. 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 Privacy Died

Establishes the It's Your Data Act for the purposes of providing protections and transparency in the collection, use, retention, and sharing of personal information. Biometric information, which is defined to include DNA, is considered protected information. Died.

Texas Health Insurance Nondiscrimination Died

Creates the Healthy Texas Program. The board for the program must create policies that promote nondiscrimination with respect to members and providers with regard to 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.

California Use of Residual Newborn Screening Specimens Died

This bill amends existing law pertaining to pregnancy blood samples. Existing law provides for the use of samples for approved research projects and establishes confidentiality and privacy protections with regard to samples and related personal information. This bill renames the term "pregnancy" blood samples by referring to them as "newborn" blood samples. Measure failed.

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 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

Establishes the Healthy Maryland Program. Requires the Board to establish requirements and standards to consistent with state nondiscrimination laws, including those pertaining to genetic information. Participating providers may not refuse to provide health care services on the basis of genetic information. 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. 11/30/2020 Reported out of Senate Conference Committee. See S2963 for report. Died.

Missouri Privacy Died

This bill requires a state agency or education institution to obtain written consent from parents or eligible students before collecting any certain data points, including a biometric record (defined to include DNA). Died.

New Jersey Privacy Died

Exempts certain health information, including genetic information, contained in 9-1-1 calls from definition of government record. Died.

New York Other Topics Died

A Transportation Network Company (TNC) may not discriminate against passengers or potential passengers on the basis of a genetic predisposition. TNC drivers must comply with the anti-discrimination law. Died.

Rhode Island Health Insurance Coverage Died

Requires nonprofit hospital service contract, plan, or insurance policy delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed in this state must provide coverage of all blood testing services, including specified genetic tests. Died.

Maryland Privacy Died

Amends the definition of biometric information under the Maryland Data privacy act. The definition of biometric information referring to a genetic print is stricken. The revised definition of biometric information includes physiological, biological, or behavioral characteristics, including an individual's DNA, that can be used singly, in combination with each other, or with other identifying data to establish individual identity. Died.

Minnesota Health Insurance Nondiscrimination, Other Lines of Insurance Nondiscrimination Died

This bill modifies the definition of genetic test under the Genetic Insurance Discrimination Act and adds a new section restricting the use of genetic information in individual and group life, disability income and long-term care insurance. For underwriting and ratemaking purposes, these insurers may not request or require a genetic test, use genetic test results other than those in the medical record or use genetic test results in the medical record without claims experience, substantial data or actuarial justification. Measure failed.

Missouri Health Insurance Nondiscrimination Died

Proposes a Constitutional amendment, if approved by the voters, to provide that prohibits health plans from limiting or excluding benefits relating to any condition based on the fact that the condition is a preexisting condition or charging a different premium rate or imposing different out-of-pocket costs for the same coverage based on the fact that a person covered under the plan has a preexisting condition. Genetic information should not be treated as a preexisting condition in the absence of a diagnosis of the condition related to such information. 4/13/2021 Reported Do Pass House Rules Committee. Died.

New Mexico Employment Nondiscrimination, Privacy Died

Enacts the Uniform Protection of Genetic Information in Employment Act. The bill also amends the Genetic Information privacy Act. Died in Consumer and Public Affairs Committee.

New York Other Topics Died

Establishes an eleven member genetics advisory council. Died.

South Dakota Privacy Died

This bill establishes certain rights of parents regarding the upbringing, education, health care, and mental health care of their children and provides certain penalties for the violation of those rights. Rights set forth include the right to consent in writing before any record of a minor child's blood or deoxyribonucleic acid is created, stored, or shared. Died.

Washington Privacy Died

Enacts measures to safeguard the privacy, confidentiality, security, and integrity of a consumer's genetic data resulting from direct-to-consumer genetic testing. Died.

Connecticut Privacy Died

Establishes a framework for controlling and processing personal data. Establishes responsibilities and privacy protection standards for data controllers and processors. Grants consumers the right to access, correct, delete and obtain a copy of personal data and to opt out of the processing of personal data for the purposes of targeted advertising. Sensitive data is defined as personal data that includes the processing of genetic or biometric data for the purpose of uniquely identifying a natural person. Died.

Illinois Privacy Died

Establishes consumer rights to copies of information held by persons who control and process data. Provides for the correction of inaccurate data. Provides for restrictions on the use of personal data. Defines health care information to include a patient's deoxyribonucleic acid. Died.

Maryland Privacy Died

This bill amends the Personal Information Protection Act, which governs the use of personal information contained in the records of certain businesses. The definition of personal information is amended to include an individual's unique biometric or genetic print. In the Senate. 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. 4/30/2018 In Senate. Accompanied a study order, see S2496.

Mississippi Health Insurance Nondiscrimination Died

Genetic information may not be excluded as a preexisting condition in the absence of a diagnosis of the condition related to the genetic information. Measure failed.

New Jersey Privacy Died

This bill sets forth requirements for government collection of biometric identifiers, including DNA. No governmental entity shall obtain a biometric identifier of an individual without authorization of the individual, with some exceptions such as law enforcement. Died.

New York Privacy Died

Establishes the office of data protection and privacy for intelligence data centers to protect the privacy of personal information and biometric identifiers, including DNA. Died.

North Carolina Employment Nondiscrimination Died

Amends genetic nondiscrimination in employment statute. Deletes existing provision related to genetic information and adds protected classes or protected categories, which is defined to include predisposing genetic characteristics. Died.

Vermont Privacy Died

This bill creates personal property rights to genetic information. The bill also prohibits disclosure of genetic information without informed written consent. Measure failed.

Wisconsin Privacy Died

Sets forth requirements regarding the deletion of consumer personal data, including genetic data, by controllers. 4/1/2020 Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1.

California Employment Nondiscrimination Died

Prohibits licensing boards from requiring an examination or establishing any qualification for licensing that has an adverse impact on any class because of various attributes, including genetic information. Died.

Georgia Privacy, Use of Residual Newborn Screening Specimens Died

Prohibits the collection of student or family information by any state agency, local school system or educational institution, including biometric data (defined to include DNA sequence and newborn screening information), except as may be necessary to facilitate the instruction of special needs students or students participating in school physical education and athletic programs. 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.

California Other Topics Died

require the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California to adopt rules relating to inappropriate conduct, as defined, by board members, officers, and employees. Inappropriate conduct is defined as any conduct toward others that is physical, verbal, or visual based on or because of various characteristics, including genetic information. Carries over to 2022.

Hawaii Health Insurance Coverage Died

Requires health insurers, mutual benefit societies and health maintenance organizations to provide coverage for: (1) screening to determine whether counseling and testing related to the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genetic mutation is indicated; and (2) genetic counseling and testing related to the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genetic mutation, if indicated. Died.

Maryland Health Insurance Nondiscrimination Died

This bill provides an individual with a right to civil if the state genetic nondiscrimination insurance statutes are violated. Measure failed.

Maryland Privacy Died

Amends statute requiring a business that maintains personal information of an individual residing in the State to implement and maintain certain security procedures and practices. The bill adds the following to the definition of personal information: genetic information with respect to an individual, including the genetic sample of an individual; the genetic test of an individual; the genetic test of an individual's family member; the manifestation of a disease or disorder in a family member of an individual; any request for and receipt of genetic counseling, or genetic education; and any information derived from genetic information with respect to an individual. In the Senate - Hearing 2/10 at 1:00 p.m. Died.

Minnesota Use of Residual Newborn Screening Specimens Died

The original version of this bill amended the newborn screening law pertaining to storage of blood samples. All language was subsequently deleted pertaining to the newborn screening program.

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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