House Bill 3437 aims to enhance the genetic privacy of newborn infants in West Virginia by establishing a new article in the state code that outlines specific requirements for parental consent regarding newborn genetic screening. The bill mandates that health care facilities or providers must obtain express, separate, written, voluntary, informed consent from parents or guardians before conducting any genetic screening on their newborns. Additionally, it limits the amount of blood that can be collected for screening purposes and prohibits the retention of blood samples and test results beyond three weeks unless explicit consent is given.

Furthermore, the bill stipulates that any retention, sharing, or use of newborn blood spots and genetic screening test results requires the same level of informed consent. It emphasizes that consent forms must be clear and not imply any penalties for refusal. The legislation also ensures that the requirement for voluntary consent cannot be waived or overridden by any other laws or regulations. Overall, House Bill 3437 seeks to protect the rights of parents and guardians in making informed decisions about their newborns' genetic information.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 16-4G-1, 16-4G-2, 16-4G-3, 16-4G-4