[Med-privacy] Mass. genetic privacy law

[Peter Marshall]

MASSACHUSETTS ENACTS GENETIC PRIVACY LAW
 
    On August 22, Massachusetts enacted into law a bill protecting the
privacy of genetic test results and prohibiting employers and insurers from
requiring such tests (Ch. 254 of the Acts of 2000). Among its provisions
are: prohibiting disclosure of results of genetic tests without the consent
of the person to whom the information pertains; prohibiting the requirement
of such results of genetic tests as a condition of employment or insurance;
and prohibiting discrimination by insurance institutions based on the use of
such results of genetic tests. The law also states that "it is the goal of
the commonwealth to achieve these purposes without limiting the potential
for medical research and permitting certain uses for life insurance
underwriting"; a commission is to be created to investigate the feasibility
of the use of genetic tests in insurance underwriting.
   To read the new law, go to
http://www.state.ma.us/legis/laws/seslaw00/sl000254.htm.