Sessions Information

  • January 5, 2018
    10:30 am - 12:15 pm
    Session Type: AALS Open Source Programs
    Session Capacity: N/A
    Hotel: N/A
    Room: Pacific Ballroom Salon 19
    Floor: North Tower/Ground Level

    May 2018 marks the tenth anniversary of the passage of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA). The law prohibits covered health insurers and employers from discriminating against individuals based on genetic information. When the bill first passed, proponents heralded it as the “first civil rights bill of the twentieth century”. Others, however, decried the bill saying that it was an unnecessary piece of legislation that was a “solution in search of a problem.” Since that time, the debate over the necessity and merits of GINA has continued. Additionally, the technological, political, and legal landscape surrounding genetic testing, insurance, and employment has changed. After ten years, how has GINA fared through the changing scientific and regulatory framework? This panel explores how GINA has played out in practice, from its effects on public fear of genetic discrimination to cases brought under the law. The panel will focus on legislative efforts to whittle away some of the bill's protections, such as proposed wellness program legislation, as well as state passed or proposed legislation to fill several gaps in GINA. Finally, the panel will offer predictions regarding the law’s future impact and insights regarding how its protections could be strengthened and improved.

    Papers from this program will be published in Journal of Law and the Biosciences.


Session Speakers
University of Tennessee College of Law
Speaker

University of Iowa College of Law
Speaker

University of Houston Law Center
Moderator

University of Louisville, Louis D. Brandeis School of Law
Speaker

The George Washington University Law School
Speaker

Session Fees
  • [5230] AALS Open Source Program - The Genetic Non-Discrimination Act (GINA) at 10 Years: $0.00