One Step Forward, Two Steps Back for Genetic Privacy
Yesterday, the House passed H.R. 493, the Genetic Nondiscrimination Act (GINA), and the bill is now headed to President Bush for his signature. 
This is a victory for all Americans who value their genetic privacy: GINA prevents employers and health insurance companies from discriminating against applicants based on their genetic code, which, thanks to modern science, reveals a lot about your body's predisposition towards illness and disease.
Today Noam Biale, Advocacy Coordinator for the ACLU's Technology and Liberty Project, blogged in DailyKos about how GINA's passage is a step in the right direction for privacy rights, but another bill, the DNA Fingerprint Act of 2005, threatens our privacy in different, and we daresay greater, ways. This bill, already signed by the President, is in its comment period right now, and if you're one of the many American concerned about how your DNA might be profiled and warehoused in a federal database, you'll want to read Noam's blog:
This is a victory for all Americans who value their genetic privacy: GINA prevents employers and health insurance companies from discriminating against applicants based on their genetic code, which, thanks to modern science, reveals a lot about your body's predisposition towards illness and disease.
Today Noam Biale, Advocacy Coordinator for the ACLU's Technology and Liberty Project, blogged in DailyKos about how GINA's passage is a step in the right direction for privacy rights, but another bill, the DNA Fingerprint Act of 2005, threatens our privacy in different, and we daresay greater, ways. This bill, already signed by the President, is in its comment period right now, and if you're one of the many American concerned about how your DNA might be profiled and warehoused in a federal database, you'll want to read Noam's blog:
[The act] it provides the federal government with sweeping new powers to collect and permanently retain DNA samples from anyone arrested for any crime. This could ultimately include individuals arrested for the most minor of crimes, such as peaceful protesters demonstrating on federal property, such as the National Mall or a government building.We urge you to make your thoughts known about this act's sweeping privacy violations. You can give your comments on the regulations.gov website.
Second, the act allows the government to collect and permanently retain DNA from any non-US person merely detained under federal authorities. "Detained" is not defined. Forget the formality of an arrest - if you are a visitor to our country you can now be compelled to give your DNA while waiting in passport control at JFK, or anytime you are pulled aside at the airport by a Transportation Security Administration agent. Thanks for visiting the United States; we'll keep that DNA sample, thank you.
May 28th, 2008 at 4:48pm
I think the GINA act is a step in the right direction, but more protection is need. And many health departments like the MN Dept of health have collected DNA information at birth of infants without parents consent. And they have no intention of stopping.
As a former Minnesotan I can tell you genetic descrimination is alive and well in Minnesota.
Genetic testing
Posted at 3:04 PM on April 17, 2008 by Michael Marchio (0 Comments)
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/collections/special/columns/
fantasy_legislature/archive/2008/04/genetic_testing.shtml
The dispute over newborn genetic information will again force legislators to balance privacy and public health. This time the debate centers on five drops of blood that are collected after a baby is born. State law requires the blood be analyzed so the health department will know if a baby has certain diseases. But the big question is what is done with that blood after the test is done?
"The Minnesota Health Department keeps both the data and the blood, and concerned parents and privacy advocates are worried. Republican Rep. Mary Liz Holberg worries those simple blood drops will reveal more about a person as genetic testing improves"
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