House Passes Legislation to Protect Workers from Genetic Discrimination

I am pleased that the House recently passed the Genetic Non-Discrimination Information Act (HR 493), a bill that originated in my subcommittee.  This legislation, which was drafted in the Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee (HELP), creates strong protections for prospective and current employees from discrimination based on a genetic predisposition.  I believe that no one should be told they are not going to be hired, or are going to be fired, if they refuse to take a genetic test or if they have a genetic predisposition for a disease that makes them more likely to get a specific disease.  Unfortunately, loopholes currently exist in federal and state laws that allow employers to require genetic testing employees and candidates for employment and there is significant evidence that individuals been discriminated against in the workplace due to the results of genetic testing.

Click here to listen to a report from National Public Radio on HR 493.
 
I am a strong supporter of the Genetic Non-Discrimination Information Act, and I was proud to vote in favor of it when it came to the House floor.  HR 493 will provide substantial protections to individuals who may otherwise be subject to genetic discrimination.  As Chairman of the HELP Subcommittee, I will continue my work to eliminate discrimination from the workplace.

I have also included below an article from the Associated Press on this bill.

U.S. House bill would ban discrimination based on genetic information
 
The Associated Press
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
 
WASHINGTON: Genetic information no longer could be used to deny
someone health insurance or job opportunities under legislation passed
by the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday.
 
"If your grandmother had breast cancer, you shouldn't be denied a job
or a promotion," said Rep. Robert Andrews, a Democrat, before the
420-3 vote on the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act.
 
The measure makes it illegal for a health plan or insurer to deny
coverage or charge higher premiums to a healthy person based solely on
a genetic predisposition to a disease. Similarly, an employer could
not use genetic information in making hiring, firing or promotion
decisions.
 
Rep. Louise M. Slaughter, a Democrat and the chief sponsor, said she
first introduced a genetic nondiscrimination bill 12 years ago. She
said the need for the legislation has grown because of advances in the
science. "There's not a single person on the planet who has perfect
genes," she said. We're all vulnerable to genetic discrimination."
 
Rep. Judy Biggert, a Republican and another sponsor, said the
government spent $3.7 billion (€2.7 billion) on the Human Genome
Project completed in 2003 and then "Congress walked away and left the
job unfinished. ... We left people without any insurance that their
genetic information wouldn't be used against them."
 
Lawmakers noted that some people forgo genetic testing for fear of
losing jobs or health benefits. They said there have been instances of
discrimination against people with family histories of sickle cell
anemia, Huntington's disease, certain cancers and other diseases.
 
The White House, in a statement, expressed support for the
legislation. "Concern about unwarranted use of genetic information
threatens the utilization of existing genetic tests as well as the
ability to conduct further research," it said.
 
Genetic discrimination bills have been approved twice by the Senate in
recent years but were not taken up by the House. In January the Senate
Health, Education, Pensions and Labor Committee approved legislation
by Sen. Olympia Snowe. The bill awaits action by the full Senate.

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