Clinton outlaws genetic discrimination in federal jobs

President Clinton has signed an executive order forbidding the US federal government from using genetic information in employment decisions. The order, which is effective immediately, protects all 2.8 million federal employees from genetic discrimination.

The federal government is the largest individual employer in the United States. By signing the order, President Clinton anticipates the greater role that genomics will have in the near future as the human genome is deciphered, and the decision sets an example for the private sector.

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