Sweeping legislation protecting the genetic privacy of Massachusetts residents was signed into law Tuesday, three weeks after it sailed through the legislature.
Although 36 other states have adopted similar laws protecting the genetic privacy of their residents, the Massachusetts version, sponsored by State Senate Majority Leader Linda Melconian is reputed to be the most comprehensive.
The law requires a person’s written permission before the results of any genetic testing can be released to anyone but a person’s attending physician. In addition, it prohibits genetic discrimination in banking and financial services, including loans and mortgages, the purchase of health insurance or employment.
It also establishes a special commission to study the issue for two years. Members of the yet-to-be named panel are to report their findings to state lawmakers for possible legislative action in the future.
The law, which took effect immediately, was signed into law by Lieutenant Gov. Jane Swift. Noting the increased use of genetic testing to determine a person’s susceptibility to illness and disease, Swift said the law was necessary to allay the fears of people who undergo genetic testing that “someday the results might be used against them.”
