DIY Government: Keep Newborn DNA Away from the Government

Keep Newborn DNA Away from the Government c/o Patient Privacy Rights

Please take a moment to say NO to the federal government's plan to collect, control and own the DNA of every citizen, starting at birth. 

TODAY, June 25th, is the last day to comment on the federal government's plan to warehouse and use newborn citizen DNA without consent for government research, corporate research and other purposes.

Concerns about the government's proposal include:

• Fails to recommend informed written consent requirements for the storage and use of newborn DNA for research and other purposes.
• Asserts a public claim on the DNA of newborn citizens.
• Claims that newborn blood is necessary for "population surveillance."
• Disregards the 22 state genetic privacy laws and the 5 state genetic ownership laws.
• Omits compelling statistics from the University of Michigan study that found the public appalled by unconsented government storage and research (p. 12).
• Recommends parent education instead of informed parent consent requirements that would enforce such education.
• Claims that state screening programs are charged with "stewardship" of newborn DNA samples-'ensuring appropriate use'-when they are actually charged with simply testing each newborn.
• Fails to acknowledge the constitutional Fourth Amendment genetic privacy and property rights of individuals.

Please send a comment now. Share this with your friends, family, coworkers, and all you care about. We need to let these folks know what the American people want.