Yahoo! News - Senate Passes Ban on Genetic Discrimination
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate on Thursday unanimously approved legislation to bar health insurers and employers from discriminating against people with a genetic predisposition to disease.

Sponsors said a growing understanding of the human genetic code created a need for protections to make sure scientific breakthroughs were used to promote health, not discrimination. Scientists believe every human has some genetic flaws.

The bill prevents health insurers from excluding people from coverage or charging them higher rates due to a genetic risk or predisposition to a disease. Insurers could not require customers to take genetic tests.

Employers would be barred from making hiring or firing decisions based on genetic information.

Something that protects people instead of business? Wow. Let's hope it makes it through the House this time- last time it was blocked-

The Senate passed nearly identical legislation in 2003, but it died in the House of Representatives.

Lead House sponsor Louise Slaughter, a New York Democrat, said that a bipartisan majority of House members have publicly supported the bill, and she hopes to overcome opposition from a small group of Republican leaders and business lobbyists. The Chamber of Commerce, for instance, opposes the Senate bill.

"It has been astonishing to me that the Senate can pass this unanimously and the White House supports it, and a couple of outside groups can block this," Slaughter said.