In what continues to be a busy year for genetic privacy developments, Rhode Island has joined the growing number of states regulating direct-to-consumer (“DTC”) genetic testing with its recently enacted genetic privacy law, S 2203. With S 2203, Rhode Island is the fifth state to enact genetic privacy legislation this year, following Utah, South Dakota, Connecticut, and Vermont.
Continue Reading Rhode Island Enacts Genetic Privacy LawGenetic Privacy
Vermont Enacts Privacy Legislation to Regulate Health-Related Information
By Libbie Canter, Elizabeth Brim & Clare Mathias on
Posted in Data Privacy
Vermont recently enacted two privacy bills to regulate health-related information. These include H.639, a genetic privacy bill regulating direct-to-consumer genetic testing companies, and the Vermont Data Privacy and Online Surveillance Act (S.71), a comprehensive privacy law that extends heightened protections to “consumer health data.” You can read our full…
Continue Reading Vermont Enacts Privacy Legislation to Regulate Health-Related InformationConnecticut Enacts Genetic Privacy Law
By Libbie Canter, Elizabeth Brim & Clare Mathias on
Posted in Health Privacy
States continue to enact laws regulating genetic data. Since our last update, the Connecticut governor has signed SB 4, an omnibus privacy law which contains provisions regulating direct-to-consumer (“DTC”) genetic testing companies. You can read our full analysis of SB 4 here.
Continue Reading Connecticut Enacts Genetic Privacy LawUtah and South Dakota Enact Genetic Privacy Laws as Other States Advance Bills
By Libbie Canter, Elizabeth Brim & Clare Mathias on
Posted in Health Privacy
At the state level, genetic privacy remains a fast-moving topic, and states continue to introduce and advance bills regulating genetic data.
Continue Reading Utah and South Dakota Enact Genetic Privacy Laws as Other States Advance BillsSeveral States Introduce New Genetic Privacy Bills in Early 2026
By Libbie Canter, Elizabeth Brim & Clare Mathias on
Posted in Health Privacy
Following a trend from the past few years, several states have introduced bills related to genetic privacy in recent months. These bills have focused on a range of issues, including the privacy practices of direct-to-consumer (“DTC”) genetic testing companies, the national security implications of “foreign adversaries” accessing genetic information, and other topics related to genetic privacy and testing. We summarize a subset of such recently introduced bills below.
Continue Reading Several States Introduce New Genetic Privacy Bills in Early 2026Multiple States Enact Genetic Privacy Legislation in a Busy Start to 2025
By Libbie Canter, Elizabeth Brim & Natalie Maas on
Posted in Health Privacy
Since the beginning of 2025, there have been a flurry of bills introduced at the state and federal level related to genetic privacy, which follows a similar trend over the past several years. These bills have focused on a range of issues, including general genetic privacy, national security implications of “foreign adversaries” accessing genetic information, the privacy practices of direct-to-consumer (“DTC”) genetic testing companies, and the transfer of genetic data as part of bankruptcy proceedings, among others. We summarize a subset of such bills moving through state and federal legislatures below.
Continue Reading Multiple States Enact Genetic Privacy Legislation in a Busy Start to 2025U.S. Senate Introduces Genomic Data Protection Act
By Libbie Canter, Elizabeth Brim & Natalie Maas on
On March 5, 2025, Senators Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Gary Peters (D-MI) introduced the federal Genomic Data Protection Act (“GDPA”). The Senators introduced the same bill at the end of last year, but the bill stagnated, and Congress adjourned soon after. Notably, as part of his February 2024 white paper, Senator Cassidy specifically called for the regulation of genetic data collected by direct-to-consumer genetic testing companies, pointing to several states that have enacted laws regulating these companies over the past several years.
Continue Reading U.S. Senate Introduces Genomic Data Protection ActAlabama Enacts Genetic Privacy Bill
By Libbie Canter & Elizabeth Brim on
Posted in Health Privacy
On May 16, 2024, Alabama enacted a genetic privacy bill (HB 21), which regulates consumer-facing genetic testing companies. HB 21 continues the recent trend of states enacting genetic privacy legislation aimed at regulating direct-to-consumer (“DTC”) genetic testing companies, such as in Nebraska and Virginia, with more than 10 states now having similar laws on the books.
Continue Reading Alabama Enacts Genetic Privacy BillNebraska Enacts Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Privacy Law as Several Other States Propose Similar Bills at the Start of 2024
By Libbie Canter, Elizabeth Brim & Aubrey Stoddard on
Posted in Health Privacy
On February 14, 2024, Nebraska enacted a genetic privacy law (LB 308) regulating direct-to-consumer (“DTC”) genetic testing companies. The law is one of a flurry of bills regarding DTC genetic testing that have been introduced in several states since the beginning of 2024, following the enactment of several DTC genetic testing laws in 2023, such as in Virginia.
Continue Reading Nebraska Enacts Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Privacy Law as Several Other States Propose Similar Bills at the Start of 2024California Governor Signs Legislation to Expand Genetic Privacy Protections After Last Year’s Veto
By Libbie Canter on
Posted in Health Privacy, State Legislatures
On Wednesday, October 6th, Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 41, the Genetic Information Privacy Act, which expands genetic privacy protections for consumers in California, including those interacting with direct-to-consumer (“DTC”) genetic testing companies. In a recent Inside Privacy blog post, our colleagues discussed SB 41 and the growing patchwork…
Continue Reading California Governor Signs Legislation to Expand Genetic Privacy Protections After Last Year’s Veto