Sens. Cornyn and Klobuchar Introduce Bipartisan Don’t Sell My DNA Act
The Don’t Sell My DNA Act is currently in the early stages of the legislative process. It was recently sent to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary for review. The bill is actively moving, but there are no specific dates scheduled for further action at this time.
This bill has strong support from both parties and addresses a growing privacy concern, but it still needs to move through the committee process and find time for a full vote.
Small businesses that collect or store genetic information (such as small biotech firms, genetic testing startups, or health data companies) would face new constraints during bankruptcy. Genetic data could not be freely sold as an asset, and unsold data must be securely deleted, potentially reducing the recoverable value of the estate for creditors. However, the number of small businesses affected is quite small.
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in Senate
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.
Senators John Cornyn, Chuck Grassley, and Amy Klobuchar introduced the Don’t Sell My DNA Act to safeguard customers' sensitive genetic information. The bill updates the bankruptcy code to include genetic data as 'personally identifiable information,' requiring explicit consent for its sale.
This analysis explores the legal gaps exposed by the 23andMe bankruptcy and the introduction of the Don’t Sell My DNA Act. The bill aims to prevent genetic data from being treated as a fungible corporate asset and mandates the deletion of data not subject to an approved sale.
Representatives Ben Cline and Zoe Lofgren introduced the House companion to the Don’t Sell My DNA Act. The legislation seeks to ensure that sensitive genetic data cannot be sold off to the highest bidder during a 'fire sale' of corporate assets in bankruptcy proceedings.
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Don’t Sell My DNA Act
Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.