Senate passes bill that bars discrimination based on genetic testing

Published: 2008-04-25

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- A bill passed April 24 by the U.S. Senate barring health insurers and employers from discriminating against individuals because of their own or their family's genetic information has won praise from the Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Deirdre McQuade, assistant director for policy and communications in the secretariat, said the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act will protect born and unborn children as well as children in the process of adoption. "This bill helps protect and empower families to welcome and nurture some of the most vulnerable members of their family," McQuade said. "The bill protects vulnerable populations from discrimination, whether those groups are ethnic, racial or gender-based, or based on their vulnerable size and location, namely in utero or in the lab somewhere." Approved unanimously, 95-0, in the Senate April 24, the legislation would prevent insurers from using genetic data to set premiums or determine enrollment eligibility for anyone. The bill also bans the use of genetic information by employers in hiring, firing or promotion decisions.

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