Don't Sell My DNA Act

Summary#

This bill updates the U.S. bankruptcy code to add protections for genetic information. It treats genetic information as personally identifiable information (using the definition from the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act). The bill prevents approval of any use, sale, or lease of genetic information from a bankruptcy estate unless every person whose genetic information would be affected has given affirmative written consent after the case begins. It also requires actual prior written notice to each person before any use, sale, or lease is final. Trustees or debtors in possession must delete any genetic information that was estate property and not sold, using court‑prescribed methods (the bill cites NIST media sanitization guidelines as an example). The changes take effect on enactment and apply to pending, new, or reopened bankruptcy cases.

What it means for you#

• If your genetic information is part of a bankruptcy estate, you must receive written notice before it is used, sold, or leased. You must give written consent after the case starts for those actions to be allowed.
• If your genetic information is not sold, the trustee must delete it using court‑approved methods.
• Trustees and debtors in possession must follow the notice, consent, and deletion rules in the bill.
• The rules apply as soon as the bill becomes law and to pending or later bankruptcy cases.

Expenses#

No publicly available information.

Proponents' View#

The sponsors introduced the amendment to add legal protections for genetic information in bankruptcy proceedings, requiring notice, affirmative written consent, and deletion when genetic data are not sold.

Opponents' View#

No publicly available information.