PRIA, Government Policy, Made Personal

Summary

Employers, labor unions, and the groups that run apprenticeships or other training programs must not treat someone unfairly because of genetic information. They cannot keep a person out of a training program, refuse to hire or refer them, limit or separate applicants or trainees, or try to get another employer to do those things, all because of genetic information. They also must not ask for, require, or buy genetic information about a person or their family, except in six narrow cases: an accidental request for family medical history; when the employer offers health or genetic services and the person gives written consent and only the health provider sees identifiable results while the employer gets only anonymous summaries; when family medical history is needed for family leave certification; when buying publicly available books, newspapers, or magazines (not medical databases or court records); for genetic monitoring of workplace toxins if workers are told, consent or it’s legally required, rules are followed, and the employer gets only anonymous results; and for forensic DNA work or human-remains ID limited to quality control markers. Even then, the information cannot be used to discriminate or shared in ways that violate section 2000ff–5.

Title 42, §2000ff–4

The Public Health and Welfare, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)It shall be an unlawful employment practice for any employer, labor organization, or joint labor-management committee controlling apprenticeship or other training or retraining, including on-the-job training programs—

(1)to discriminate against any individual because of genetic information with respect to the individual in admission to, or employment in, any program established to provide apprenticeship or other training or retraining;

(2)to limit, segregate, or classify the applicants for or participants in such apprenticeship or other training or retraining, or fail or refuse to refer for employment any individual, in any way that would deprive or tend to deprive any individual of employment opportunities, or otherwise adversely affect the status of the individual as an employee, because of genetic information with respect to the individual; or

(3)to cause or attempt to cause an employer to discriminate against an applicant for or a participant in such apprenticeship or other training or retraining in violation of this chapter.

(b)It shall be an unlawful employment practice for an employer, labor organization, or joint labor-management committee described in subsection (a) to request, require, or purchase genetic information with respect to an individual or a family member of the individual except—

(1)where the employer, labor organization, or joint labor-management committee inadvertently requests or requires family medical history of the individual or family member of the individual;

(2)where—

(A)health or genetic services are offered by the employer, labor organization, or joint labor-management committee, including such services offered as part of a wellness program;

(B)the individual provides prior, knowing, voluntary, and written authorization;

(C)only the individual (or family member if the family member is receiving genetic services) and the licensed health care professional or board certified genetic counselor involved in providing such services receive individually identifiable information concerning the results of such services; and

(D)any individually identifiable genetic information provided under subparagraph (C) in connection with the services provided under subparagraph (A) is only available for purposes of such services and shall not be disclosed to the employer, labor organization, or joint labor-management committee except in aggregate terms that do not disclose the identity of specific individuals;

(3)where the employer, labor organization, or joint labor-management committee requests or requires family medical history from the individual to comply with the certification provisions of section 2613 of title 29 or such requirements under State family and medical leave laws;

(4)where the employer, labor organization, or joint labor-management committee purchases documents that are commercially and publicly available (including newspapers, magazines, periodicals, and books, but not including medical databases or court records) that include family medical history;

(5)where the information involved is to be used for genetic monitoring of the biological effects of toxic substances in the workplace, but only if—

(A)the employer, labor organization, or joint labor-management committee provides written notice of the genetic monitoring to the individual;

(B)(i)the individual provides prior, knowing, voluntary, and written authorization; or

(ii)the genetic monitoring is required by Federal or State law;

(C)the individual is informed of individual monitoring results;

(D)the monitoring is in compliance with—

(i)any Federal genetic monitoring regulations, including any such regulations that may be promulgated by the Secretary of Labor pursuant to the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (29 U.S.C. 651 et seq.), the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 (30 U.S.C. 801 et seq.), or the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.); or

(ii)State genetic monitoring regulations, in the case of a State that is implementing genetic monitoring regulations under the authority of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (29 U.S.C. 651 et seq.); and

(E)the employer, labor organization, or joint labor-management committee, excluding any licensed health care professional or board certified genetic counselor that is involved in the genetic monitoring program, receives the results of the monitoring only in aggregate terms that do not disclose the identity of specific individuals; or

(6)where the employer conducts DNA analysis for law enforcement purposes as a forensic laboratory or for purposes of human remains identification, and requests or requires genetic information of such employer’s apprentices or trainees, but only to the extent that such genetic information is used for analysis of DNA identification markers for quality control to detect sample contamination.

(c)In the case of information to which any of paragraphs (1) through (6) of subsection (b) applies, such information may not be used in violation of paragraph (1), (2), or (3) of subsection (a) or treated or disclosed in a manner that violates section 2000ff–5 of this title.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, referred to in subsec. (b)(5)(D), is Pub. L. 91–596, Dec. 29, 1970, 84 Stat. 1590, which is classified principally to chapter 15 (§ 651 et seq.) of Title 29, Labor. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

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note set out under section 651 of Title 29 and Tables. The Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977, referred to in subsec. (b)(5)(D)(i), is Pub. L. 91–173, Dec. 30, 1969, 83 Stat. 742, which is classified principally to chapter 22 (§ 801 et seq.) of Title 30, Mineral Lands and Mining. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

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note set out under section 801 of Title 30 and Tables. The Atomic Energy Act of 1954, referred to in subsec. (b)(5)(D)(i), is act Aug. 1, 1946, ch. 724, as added by act Aug. 30, 1954, ch. 1073, § 1, 68 Stat. 919, which is classified principally to chapter 23 (§ 2011 et seq.) of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 2011 of this title and Tables.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Section effective 18 months after May 21, 2008, see section 213 of Pub. L. 110–233, set out as a note under section 2000ff of this title.

§2000ff–4 Training Programs

Summary

Title 42, §2000ff–4

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

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Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

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