S. 2744, the Genetic Research Privacy Protection Act, was introduced in the Senate in 2016. This bill, supported by ASHG, would guard against the inappropriate use of the Freedom of Information Act to gain access to research participants’ genetic information, and would build on existing privacy protections by strengthening Certificates of Confidentiality. Its provisions were... Read More
H.R.1313, the Preserving Employee Wellness Programs Act, a 2017 bill, would fundamentally undermine privacy provisions of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Related: Group Letter to House Leaders Opposing H.R. 1313 (March 2017) Letter to House Leaders Opposing H.R. 1313 (March 2017) Press Release: ASHG Opposes H.R. 1313,... Read More
In 2015, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) invited comment on its draft guidance for the regulatory oversight of laboratory-developed tests (LDTs). With a focus on genetic and genomic testing, ASHG submitted comments on the proposed regulatory oversight of such tests. Related: Comments Submitted in Response to FDA’s Draft Guidance: Framework for Regulatory Oversight... Read More
ASHG supports the teaching of evolution in public schools, and is disappointed by Tennessee’s enactment of a bill that weakens K-12 science instruction. House Bill 38, which became law in April 2012, undermined the teaching of evolution and several other scientific topics that form the basis of public scientific literacy. Related: ASHG Statement on Tennessee... Read More
In response to a 2011 request for information, ASHG submitted comments on the Advanced Notice of Proposed Rule Making for “Human Subjects Research Protection: Enhancing Protections for Research Subjects and Reducing Burden, Delay, and Ambiguity for Investigators.” The Society proposed adjustments to the review, approval, and follow-up for studies that will facilitate research and improve... Read More