Enrolled Bill Summary

Senate Bill 53                                                   Senate Author:  Nelson

Effective:  9-1-05                                               House Sponsor:  Smithee

            Senate Bill 53 amends the Insurance Code to extend restrictions on the use of genetic testing information to an issuer of an individual health insurance benefit plan, which under prior law applied only to an issuer of a group health insurance benefit plan.  These restrictions prohibit the discriminatory use of genetic information, prohibit the issuer from requiring in utero genetic testing of a child or from compelling a woman to have an induced abortion based on genetic information, limit the disclosure of certain genetic information, and provide penalties for violations.