Prohibits insurance companies from denying or cancelling life and disability coverage based upon genetic information about an insured or a family member of the insured; prohibits them from requesting genetic information about an insured or family member of an insured.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
1769
2009-2010 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 12, 2009
___________
Introduced by M. of A. MORELLE, SWEENEY, GOTTFRIED, COLTON, PERALTA,
LUPARDO, SCHROEDER -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. ALFANO, BOYLAND,
GUNTHER, MAGNARELLI, McENENY, PHEFFER, TOWNS, WEINSTEIN -- read once
and referred to the Committee on Insurance
AN ACT to amend the insurance law, in relation to prohibiting discrimi-
nation based upon genetic characteristics
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The insurance law is amended by adding a new section 2616
2 to read as follows:
3 § 2616. Eligibility for life and disability insurance based upon
4 genetic testing. (a) No policy of life or disability insurance, or group
5 life or disability insurance or renewals thereof, shall be denied or
6 canceled by the insurer, or the terms and conditions of such policy
7 altered by the insurer, solely on the basis of any genetic testing
8 performed on the insured or applicant, or a family member of the insured
9 or applicant.
10 (b) For the purposes of this section, "genetic testing" shall have the
11 same meaning as defined in section seventy-nine-l of the civil rights
12 law.
13 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04127-01-9
