Bush signs law Banning gene discrimination
President George W. Bush signed a law designed to prevent cases of genetic discrimination in the United States. Earlier, the document was unanimously adopted by the US Senate and received almost unanimous support in the US Congress, AP reports.
The new law closes access to the results of genetic tests to employers and insurance companies. From now on, information about a person's genetic characteristics and predisposition to certain diseases cannot be used when hiring, firing and promotion, as well as when determining the amount of insurance payments.
The study of human DNA makes it possible to identify his predisposition to cardiovascular, oncological and other diseases, in the development of which the factor of heredity plays a role. According to the National Institute for Human Genome Research, most people have six or more genetic mutations that increase the risk of certain diseases. Genetic studies allow doctors to carry out timely prevention of diseases with the help of medications, diet correction and other methods.
Attempts to pass a bill banning genetic discrimination have been made in the United States since 1995. In 2001, President George W. Bush announced that he would support the regulatory act. In 2003 and 2005, the bill was unanimously approved by the Senate, but the document never passed through the House of Representatives.