New York, NY, May 2, 2008 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) welcomed approval by the U.S. House of Representatives of a bill that prohibits discrimination based on results of genetic testing.  The Senate had earlier approved the measure, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (H.R. 493), which now goes to the President's desk to be signed into law.

Deborah M. Lauter, ADL Civil Rights Director, issued the following statement:

ADL has long believed that results of genetic testing should remain confidential unless voluntarily disclosed by the parties.  The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008, approved overwhelmingly by both the House and the Senate, adds an important new protection to existing civil rights laws.
 
By prohibiting employers from discriminating in hiring or promotion decisions and by prohibiting insurance companies from discriminating in coverage decisions based upon information obtained from genetic screening, Congress has spoken loudly and clearly.  The new law should help alleviate the concerns of many Americans who would benefit from the information now available through genetic screening but had been reluctant to obtain such tests. 
 
We applaud Congress for taking this important step and urge the President to promptly sign this significant legislation into law. 

The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world's leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.