{"bills":[{"photos":{"featured":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/hr1313-115/featured_preserving-employee-wellness-programs-act-1490511682.jpg","featured_large":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/hr1313-115/featured_large_preserving-employee-wellness-programs-act-1490511682.jpg","shareable":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/bills/hr1313-115.png"},"introduced_on":"2017-03-02","title_override":"Should Employers be Allowed to Ask Employees For Genetic Test Results, in Order to Incentivize Healthier Lifestyles?","summary_override":"

This bill would allow employers to require employees to undergo genetic testing as part of a voluntary employee wellness program, in which participating employees can receive discounts of between 30 and 50 percent on their employer-sponsored health insurance premiums. It would consider such testing as being in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA), and other federal laws. Employees would be able to refuse to participate in genetic testing, but they wouldn’t have access to the health insurance discount or other rewards offered through the employee wellness program.

Employers would still be required to comply with the requirements of workplace wellness programs and state laws related to the storage of sensitive personal information. Under current law, employers are prohibited from collecting genetic information from their employees, and genetic information is only shared with healthcare professionals.

","official_title":"To clarify rules relating to nondiscriminatory workplace wellness programs.","short_title":"Preserving Employee Wellness Programs Act","popular_title":null,"short_summary":"Preserving Employee Wellness Programs Act\n\n(Sec. 3) This bill exempts workplace wellness programs from: (1) limitations under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 on medical examinations and inquiries of employees, (2) the prohibition on collecting genetic information in connection with issuing health insurance, and (3) limitations under the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 on collecting the genetic information of employees or family members of employees. This exemption applies to workplace wellness programs that comply with limits on rewards for employees participating in the program.\n\nWorkplace wellness programs may provide for more favorable treatment of individuals with adverse health factors, such as a disability.\n\nCollection of information about a disease or disorder of a family member as part of a workplace wellness program is not an unlawful acquisition of genetic information about another family member.","summarized":true,"cost":null,"cost_commentary":"A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.","impact":"Employees who participate in a voluntary wellness program; employers; companies performing genetic testing; healthcare professionals; and federal and state regulators.","argument_for":"Employee wellness plans are a great way for employers to help their workers make informed, healthy decisions and voluntary genetic testing helps them do just that. Saving money on health insurance premiums is a great incentive.","argument_against":"Employers shouldn’t be allowed to have access to their employees genetic information, even if it’s in the context of a voluntarily employee wellness program. The potential for discrimination is too great, and not worth potential savings.","bill_type":"hr","published":true,"type":"FederalBill","id":"hr1313-115","bill_id":"hr1313-115","formal_id":"H.R. 1313","chamber":"house","congress":115,"last_action_at":"2017-12-11T00:00:00.000Z","active":true,"enacted":false,"enacted_at":null,"vetoed":false,"last_vote_at":null,"debated_on":null,"congress_url":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th/house-bill/1313","plain_text_url":"https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-115hr1313rh/html/BILLS-115hr1313rh.htm","shareable_image_url":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/bills/hr1313-115.png","congress_full_text_url":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th/house-bill/1313/text","is_current_congress":false,"last_version_on":"2017-12-11","related_bill_ids":[],"progress":"Introduced","house_passage_result":false,"senate_passage_result":false,"position_count":661,"committees":[{"name":"Committee on Education and Labor","chamber":"house","committee_id":"HSED","subcommittee":false},{"name":"Committee on Energy and Commerce","chamber":"house","committee_id":"HSIF","subcommittee":false},{"name":"Health","chamber":"house","committee_id":"HSIF14","subcommittee":true},{"name":"Committee on Ways and Means","chamber":"house","committee_id":"HSWM","subcommittee":false},{"name":"Health","chamber":"house","committee_id":"HSWM02","subcommittee":true}],"links":{"rollCalls":"/api/roll_calls?bill_id=hr1313-115","details":"/api/bills/hr1313-115/details","sharingMessage":"/api/sharing_messages/hr1313-115","positionsFor":"/api/bills/hr1313-115/positions/for","positionsAgainst":"/api/bills/hr1313-115/positions/against"},"upcoming":false,"cosponsors_count":5,"slug":"hr1313-115-preserving-employee-wellness-programs-act","latest_chamber_votes_id":null,"official_url":null,"target_video":false,"following":false,"vote_count":3251,"yea_vote_count":106,"nay_vote_count":3137,"passed_house":false,"passed_senate":false,"vote_id":null,"my_position_id":null,"topic_ids":["work","government","health"],"issue_ids":["work","insurance","privacy","government","health"],"sponsor_id":414}],"votes":[],"issues":[{"id":"work","name":"Work","slug":"work","description":null,"page_title":null,"icons":{"black":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/work/black_work-1429042040.svg","grey":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/work/grey_work-1429042040.svg","white":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/work/white_work-1429042040.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false},{"id":"insurance","name":"Insurance","slug":"insurance","description":"Vote on the latest federal legislation regarding Insurance. Make your voice heard about the issues you care about. \r\n","page_title":"Insurance Legislation - Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/insurance/black_insurance-1429042051.svg","grey":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/insurance/grey_insurance-1429042051.svg","white":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/insurance/white_insurance-1429042051.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false},{"id":"privacy","name":"Privacy","slug":"privacy","description":"Vote on the latest federal legislation regarding Privacy. Make your voice heard about the issues you care about. ","page_title":"Privacy Legislation - Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/privacy/black_privacy-1429042048.svg","grey":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/privacy/grey_privacy-1429042048.svg","white":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/privacy/white_privacy-1429042048.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false},{"id":"government","name":"Government","slug":"government","description":"Federal legislation related to the operations of the US Federal Government. Bills can encompass government administration, regulation of political parties, the US postal service, US territories and public contracts.","page_title":"US Government - Federal legislation - Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/government/black_government-1453508811.svg","grey":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/government/grey_government-1453508811.svg","white":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/government/white_government-1453508811.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false},{"id":"health","name":"Health","slug":"health","description":"Federal legislation around Health, encompassing: the Affordable Care Act, Medicare, Research into diseases (Cancer, HIV/Aids, Ebola), Drug safety, Hospital care and prescription drugs.","page_title":"Health Related US Federal legislation, including Medicare, ACA, and research - Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/health/black_health-1429042037.svg","grey":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/health/grey_health-1429042037.svg","white":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/health/white_health-1429042037.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false}],"users":[{"name":"Chuck","vote_count":138,"photos":{"large":"https://graph.facebook.com/862459377111399/picture?width=150&height=150","small":"https://graph.facebook.com/862459377111399/picture?width=75&height=75","tiny":"https://graph.facebook.com/862459377111399/picture?width=20&height=20","facebook":"https://graph.facebook.com/862459377111399/picture"},"links":{"following":"/api/users/5mbvEDm4/following","followers":"/api/users/5mbvEDm4/followers"},"about_me":null,"twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":null,"youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":null,"issue_count":0,"is_following":null,"influence_score":730,"influence_level":30,"follower_count":10,"following_count":1,"position_count":35,"id":"5mbvEDm4","partner_id":null},{"name":"Loraki","vote_count":1215,"photos":{"large":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/8mrgkD9d/large_8mrgkd9d-1485722796.jpg","small":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/8mrgkD9d/small_8mrgkd9d-1485722796.jpg","tiny":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/8mrgkD9d/tiny_8mrgkd9d-1485722796.jpg","facebook":"https://graph.facebook.com/100000827158540/picture"},"links":{"following":"/api/users/8mrgkD9d/following","followers":"/api/users/8mrgkD9d/followers"},"about_me":"I'm a member of the Church of Christ (non-institutional). God gave us a pattern to follow for the Church and for how we should live. He DIDN'T say that following it is OPTIONAL! Nor did He say we could make changes to His pattern! I believe that there will be an eternal home of the soul - Heaven or Hell - and that Christ will judge us on the last day. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God!\n\nI am NOT\n• a Catholic\n• a Protestant\n• a Baptist\n• a Methodist\n• a Mormon\n• an Episcopalian\n• a Pentacostal\nor member of any other denomination.\n\n• I AM A CHRISTIAN, PERIOD!\n• I AM A MEMBER OF THE CHURCH OF CHRIST, PERIOD! \n• I ACKNOWLEDGE NO HEAD OF THE CHURCH EXCEPT CHRIST JESUS, THE SON OF GOD, PERIOD! \n• I FOLLOW NO MANMADE CREED, BUT THE BIBLE ONLY, WHICH IS THE INSPIRED WORD OF GOD, PERIOD!\n\nI'm a 4th. generation Texan & the mother of 2 sons. I'm retired. I love the mountains and I like Oberhasli dairy goats, organic gardening, science fiction, astronomy, camping, and hunting. I'm very fond of my OESheepdog and my Norwegian Forest cat, too.\n\n• I'm a Constitutional Conservative and a patriot. \n•. I support the Tea Party. \n• I'm for limited government and free market capitalism. \n• I'm also for school choice and school prayer. \n• I'm against abortion and same-sex \"marriage\". \n• I'm TOTALLY AGAINST the implementation of Shariah law at any level in the United States! \n• I'm for SECURE BORDERS and reduced immigration, especially of Muslims! \n• I believe ALL illegal aliens should be deported. Those who enter our country illegally should not be given special privileges at the taxpayers' expense! \n• I believe that Congress should balance the budget and Uncle Sam should live within his means - without raising taxes! \n• I also believe in \"peace through strength\" - keep our military strong and keep out the transgenders! Freedom of religion applies to the military as well as civilians! I'm AGAINST allowing foreigners to join our military! That includes Obama's Dreamers! \n• I want to see a ban on GMOs! \n• I want to see the federal government OUT OF education! \n• Audit the Fed! \n• Abolish the IRS! \n• Just say \"NO\" to political correctness and race-baiting!\n\nThis is not a complete description of what I stand for. If you have specific questions about me, it can't hurt to ask! I might even answer! :-D #MakeDCListen\n\nTHIS IS MY COUNTRY!\n\nI AM TIRED OF AND FED UP WITH MUSLIM JIHADISTS AND ILLEGAL ALIENS IN MY COUNTRY, WHO ARE BRINGING DRUGS, DISEASE, AND CRIME, WHILE BEING CODDLED BY MY GOVERNMENT AT THE EXPENSE OF THE AMERICAN CITIZENS! IT'S NOT RIGHT FOR US TO HAVE TO SUFFER THIS INVASION BY PEOPLE WHO DON'T RESPECT OUR LAWS, OUR PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, OUR FLAG, OUR LANGUAGE (That's ENGLISH!), OR OUR CULTURE! AND I'M TIRED OF AND FED UP WITH HAVING TO \"PRESS 1 FOR ENGLISH\"! WE NEED A MORATORIUM ON MUSLIM IMMIGRATION AND WE NEED TO KICK OUT ALL OF THE ILLEGAL ALIENS WHO BY DEFINITION ARE CRIMINALS! WE NEED TO MAKE OUR GOVERNMENT UNDERSTAND THAT WE DON'T WANT AMERICA TURNED INTO A THIRD WORLD CESSPOOL!\n\nI AM NOT ANTI-IMMIGRANT. I AM FOR THE RULE OF LAW. I DON'T CARE WHAT COLOR YOUR SKIN IS OR WHAT YOUR NATIVE LANGUAGE IS. BUT IF YOU COME TO MY COUNTRY TO LIVE, I EXPECT YOU TO LEARN AND SPEAK ENGLISH AND TO OBEY OUR LAWS! NONE OF THAT SHARIAH STUFF! WE HAVE FREEDOM OF RELIGION HERE IN AMERICA, AND ISLAM IS A CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER TO THAT FREEDOM! SPARE ME YOUR TAQIYYA AND HUDNA! YOU WANT TO BELIEVE MUHAMMAD IS A PROPHET OF GOD? THAT IS YOUR RIGHT, BUT IT IS OUR RIGHT TO DISAGREE WITH YOUR BELIEFS. IT IS NOT YOUR RIGHT TO KILL US FOR DISAGREEING! IF YOU DON'T LIKE OUR LAWS, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO TRY TO CHANGE THEM THROUGH LEGAL AND PEACEFUL MEANS, BUT MANY OF US WILL PEACEFULLY AND RESPECTFULLY (insofar as it is possible) DO OUR UTMOST TO PREVENT YOU FROM SUCCEEDING, IF YOUR GOAL IS CULTURAL AND POLITICAL JIHAD.\n\nTHIS IS THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND WE HAVE A HERITAGE OF HONOR, PRIDE AND COURAGE. OUR NATION, MOREOVER, WAS FOUNDED ON CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES! OUR REVERENCE FOR GOD AND HIS CHRIST AND THE HOLY BIBLE IS WHAT ENABLED AMERICA TO BECOME GREATLY BLESSED BY GOD. WE HAVE OUR PROBLEMS; WE ARE NOT PERFECT, BUT WE WILL FIGHT THE POWERS OF DARKNESS AND EVIL, SO HELP US, GOD!\n\nTHIS IS AMERICA! LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT!!!","twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":"lafigarus","youtube_id":"LauraroseofTexas","google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":"loraki","issue_count":120,"is_following":null,"influence_score":47090,"influence_level":40,"follower_count":535,"following_count":3688,"position_count":920,"id":"8mrgkD9d","partner_id":null}],"bill_position":{"flagged":false,"id":"6ee43ff8-185b-4614-acb3-a65fa3e82c19","argument_for":null,"argument_against":"No invasion of personal information period. This is not something any government should require at any time. We are a free people unless the government steps in and takes away these freedoms disguised as helpful when they are not.","show_argument_for":false,"show_argument_against":true,"upvote_count":1,"upvotes_for_count":null,"upvotes_against_count":1,"has_upvoted":false,"endorsement_count":1,"links":{"self":"https://www.causes.com/positions/6ee43ff8-185b-4614-acb3-a65fa3e82c19"},"body":"No invasion of personal information period. This is not something any government should require at any time. We are a free people unless the government steps in and takes away these freedoms disguised as helpful when they are not.","stance":"nay","created_at":"2017-03-20T15:32:44.458Z","shareable_image_url":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/positions/6ee43ff8-185b-4614-acb3-a65fa3e82c19.png","note_color":null,"note_text":null,"bill_id":"hr1313-115","user_id":"5mbvEDm4","endorser_ids":["8mrgkD9d"]}}

Like Causes?

Chuck

Should Employers be Allowed to Ask Employees For Genetic Test Results, in Order to Incentivize Healthier Lifestyles?