Analysis of State Laws
Summary of State Laws
This summary of state laws does not include full citations for statutes that prohibit discrimination in employment or insurance on the basis of genetic testing or genetic information. There are other comprehensive collections of state laws addressing genetic nondiscrimination in employment and insurance. Therefore, there are complete references only where the statute is relevant for the conduct of research using tissue specimens.
Hospitals and health care facilities may not disclose health care information without patient authorization except under certain circumstances. [Wyoming Statutes, 35-2-609]
Insurers must maintain the confidentiality of medical information. [Wyoming Statutes, 26-34-130]
Wyoming requires that the results of genetic testing be confidential. Testing on identifiable genetic material submitted for the purposes of determining paternity must be confidential and used solely for the purposes of determining paternity unless individual identifiers are removed. Restricts the use of genetic information in the provision of insurance. [Wyoming Statutes, 14-2-710]
Wyoming permits disclosures of health information for research purposes for use in a research project that an institutional review board has determined is of sufficient importance to outweigh the intrusion into the privacy of the patient that would result from the disclosure; is impracticable without the use or disclosure of the health care information in individually identifiably form; contains reasonable safeguards to protect the information from redisclosure; contains reasonable safeguards to protect against identifying, directly or indirectly, any patient in any report of the research project; and contains procedures to remove or destroy at the earliest possible opportunity, consistent with the purposes. [Wyoming Statutes, 35-2-609]
Genetic information means any information about genes, gene products or inherited characteristics that may derive from an individual or a family member, including but not limited to information regarding carrier status, regarding an increased likelihood of future disease or increased sensitivity to any substance, derived from laboratory tests that identify mutations in specific genes, chromosomes, physical medical examination, family histories, request for genetic services or counseling, tests of gene products and direct analysis of genes and chromosomes. [Wyoming Statutes, 14-2-710]
