Genetic-test bill goes to Bush

Discrimination ban expected to get signature

WASHINGTON - The US House of Representatives gave final approval to legislation barring companies and health insurers from using results of genetic tests to deny people jobs or coverage, sending the measure to President Bush.

Lawmakers voted 414 to 1 yesterday for the measure, approved previously by the Senate, intended to prohibit discrimination based on a genetic predisposition to disease. Bush is expected to sign it.

Genetic tests can help predict someone's likelihood of getting cancer and other diseases and are used by researchers seeking new treatments. People will be less afraid of getting tested when insurers are prohibited from denying coverage or raising premiums based on test results and employers are blocked from using the information in hiring or firing, lawmakers said before the vote. This will boost participation in important medical research, they said.

"The scientific research opportunities are endless," said Representative Kathy Castor, a Florida Democrat. "This is a civil rights issue and privacy issue. This legislation is an absolute necessity."

The legislation is an accomplishment to be "thrilled about," Michael Leavitt, head of the Health and Human Services Department, said this week.

"We're very pleased about how it's turned out," Leavitt said Tuesday in Washington.

Congress has been considering legislation on genetic testing and civil protections since 1995.

"It's a great day that we are here now," said Representative Judy Biggert, a Republican from Illinois and a sponsor of the measure. "It's been a long, long road."

While a majority of Americans support genetic testing for research and healthcare, more than 90 percent fear that their information could be used against them, according to a 2007 survey by the Washington-based Genetics and Public Policy Center at Johns Hopkins University.

The measure will encourage people to get tested for their genetic propensity to diseases such as breast cancer, experts said.

"With this measure of reassurance in place, we expect more Americans will participate in genetic research and accept genetically directed strategies for treatment and prevention," said David Herrington, professor of cardiology at Wake Forest University.