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Genetic Property

A lawmaker in New Jersey is putting forth a bill that would make DNA test results the property of whoever was tested, WHYY reports.

Assemblyman Roy Freiman, a Democrat, tells it that the measure would provide people more control over their data and knowledge about how it is being used. 

Ellen Goodman, a Rutgers Law School professor, says the proposal would treat genetic data like personal property and would lead to strict penalties for selling or sharing it without the person's OK, according to WHYY. "If they didn't get your consent and they shared it, you would actually have an action against them for theft," she adds.

Freiman tells WHYY that he plans to hold a hearing about the potential unintended consequences of the bill.