Illegal Genes

California mulls a state law that would criminalize the unauthorized sharing, storing, or analyzing of genetic data.

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WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Late last week, a committee within the California State Senate passed legislation that would protect the genetic information of the state's residents, according to GenomeWeb. The Senate Judiciary Committee passed the California Genetic Information Privacy Act, which would levy civil and/or criminal penalties against anyone who collected, stored, or analyzed genetic material or information from Californians without their consent.

"As genetic testing becomes more accessible there is an increased risk of this information being used without consent," state Senator Alex Padilla, who introduced the bill, said in a statement. "We have laws to protect the privacy of our financial information, our medical records, and even the books we check out from the local library. We need genetic privacy protections because nothing is more personal than ...

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  • Bob Grant

    From 2017 to 2022, Bob Grant was Editor in Chief of The Scientist, where he started in 2007 as a Staff Writer.
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