Senate passes bill that bars discrimination based on genetic testing
By Catholic News Service
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.
The House version of the bill passed April 25, 2007, in a 420-3 vote. Minor differences in the two bills must be reconciled before the legislation is sent to President George W. Bush for signing. The House was expected to vote again on a revised measure the week of April 28.
Lawmakers promoted the bill as a major advance in civil rights. Sponsors said that although hundreds of genetic tests are available some people may not take advantage of the exams out of fear the information would be used against them.
McQuade singled out the work of Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., for ensuring that the bill would protect from discrimination the families of unborn children with adverse prenatal diagnoses.
"Thanks to the cooperation of the pro-life leadership of both parties ... we could have such a strong bill that we can endorse without any hesitation," she said.
Copyright (c) 2008 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops