USA

US Adopts Genetic Information Non-discrimination Act

London, 23 May 2008 

On Wednesday 21 May 2008, United States' President George W. Bush signed into law the Genetic Information Non-discrimination Act (GINA), which seeks to prevent medical advances in DNA testing being adversely used by employers and health insurance companies against people with a genetic predisposition to health issues.

The Act provides groundbreaking protection for civil rights and has been described by US Senator Edward Kennedy, one of the leading advocates of the Bill, as ‘the first major new civil rights bill of the new century.’ The signing represents the culmination of cross-party Congressional efforts for over a decade to address the issue of genetic discrimination.

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