PERSONAL POLITICS - (Editor’s note: Senator Padilla introduced a new law … SB 222 … this week which would prohibit the unauthorized collection, analysis, transfer or storage of an individual’s genetic information.)
I strongly support and believe in the promise of genomic research to improve public health and our quality of life. I also believe that stronger privacy protections should be in place to guard against the unauthorized access and illegitimate use of genomic data and information.
We have laws to protect the privacy of our financial information, our medical records, and even the books we check out from the local library. SB 222 would extend California privacy protections to a person’s genetic material and information. We need genomic privacy protections because nothing is more personal than our DNA.
Advancement in genomic research and individual privacy must go hand-in-hand. No person should have their genetic material taken, tested and given to others without authorization. All Californians deserve these basic protections.
(California Senator Alex Padilla graduated from MIT with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He currently serves on the Board of MIT and is President of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials. He is Chair of the Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee and represents the more than 1,100,000 residents of the 20th State Senate District … Pacoima … in Los Angeles. Reach him at: sd20.senate.ca.gov)
CityWatch
Vol 11 Issue 16
Pub: Feb 22, 2013