Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act

From SNPedia

The Genetic Nondiscrimination Act of 2007 (GINA), S.358, is US (federal) legislation intended to keep an individual's genetic information from being used to discriminate against them by employers or insurance companies. It is similar to congressional legislation that has been raised annually for over 10 years, but has yet to pass.

On May 1, 2008, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) by a vote of 414-1. The bill was ultimately signed into law on May 21, 2008 by then President George W. Bush.

In 2007, GINA was passed in the U.S. House of Representatives, by a vote of 420-3. Although in previous years the Senate has passed similar legislation (twice), the 2007 bill has stalled in the Senate, primarily due to the actions of Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Oklahama). Although Sen. Coburn voted for a similar bill in 2005, in 2007 he has stated that the bill's language exposes employers to too much liability.

Many congressional representatives, both Democrat and Republican, support GINA, as did former President Bush. [Bush administration statement here.] The primary opponents that were known included the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and trade associations like the National Retail Federation, who stated that GINA would provoke frivolous lawsuits.