Science Leads the Way to New Federal Antidiscrimination Law
MSK Client Alert
July 2008
In May, President Bush signed into law the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act ("GINA"), which prohibits employers and insurance companies from discriminating against individuals on the basis of genetic information. Touted as the "first civil rights bill of the new century of life sciences," GINA was adopted in response to an alleged increasing concern that fear of discrimination is preventing the general public from taking full advantage of genetic testing that could result in preventative medical treatments. However, detractors have argued that GINA is a wholly unnecessary remedy in search of a problem.
