PRESS RELEASES
For Immediate Release
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
BABY DNA WAREHOUSE BILL
MN Senate Committee Says NO to Bill that would Repeal
Genetic Privacy Rights
But threat to genetic privacy remains
Saint Paul/April 8, 2009 - The genetic privacy rights of
Minnesota citizens were given a boost yesterday by the Minnesota Senate
Judiciary Committee when it refused to hear SF 1478, the Senate bill to
repeal genetic privacy rights, says Citizens' Council on Health Care.
"We are pleased that the Senate Judiciary Committee chose not to hear
the Baby DNA Warehouse bill. The bill was set to make null and void the
Minnesota genetic privacy law," said Twila Brase, president of CCHC
"The proposed elimination of informed written consent requirements for
the taking, storage and use of newborn blood and DNA would repeal the
genetic privacy law for everyone born today, everyone born in the last
23 years, and everyone born in the future," she added.
Yesterday at midnight was the deadline for getting bills through all
policy committees. Bills that failed to make it through policy
committees by midnight are no longer considered for adoption by the
legislature.
Second baby DNA warehouse bill emerges
Last Thursday, Rep. Paul Thissen (D-Mpls), the author of the companion
House bill, HF 1341, amended the newborn DNA language onto HF 1760,
what he called a "technical bill." This strategy may have emerged to
address the impending Senate committee's decision not to hear SF 1478.
At the hearing, Rep. Thissen said HF 1760, had turned from a technical
bill into the "health care policy omnibus bill." Rep. Laura Brod (R-New
Prague) attempted to delete the Baby DNA language from the amendment,
but was unsuccessful. HF 1760's companion bill in the Senate, SF 1526,
has made the policy committee deadline,.
Brase says she expects Senate supporters of repealing genetic privacy
rights to attempt to attach the Baby DNA House language to the Senate
bill during
the floor debate on SF 1526.
"Genetic privacy rights remain seriously threatened," says Brase. "If
this new baby DNA bill becomes law, the only ones with genetic privacy
rights in Minnesota will be people who are grown adults today. The
genetic privacy law will no longer protect children and adults in
future generations from government claims on citizen DNA."
FMI:
Twila Brase, RN, PHN
President
651-646-8935 office
- CCHC -
Citizens' Council on Health Care supports
freedom for patients and doctors, medical
innovation, and the right to a confidential patient-doctor
relationship.
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Citizens' Council on Health Care is a non-profit, independent health care policy organization that supports free-market ideas in health care.
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