---
title: O.C.G.A. § 33-54-1. Legislative findings and determinations; intent of chapter.
collection: code
id: 33-54-1
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 33-54-1 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/33-54-1
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/33-54-1.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/33-54-1/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t33-ch23-65-(v25)-2020-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=68297_0#page=989
date: 2025
status: active
corpus_version: 2025-supplement-89aa39ab3c68
license: CC0-1.0
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/code/33-54.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/code/33-53-4.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/code/33-54-2.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/code/index.md
version: the only printed version
in_force: true
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly
heading_path: INSURANCE / GENETIC TESTING
extraction_warnings:
  - dehyphenation_unverified:auton-omy
---

# O.C.G.A. § 33-54-1. Legislative findings and determinations; intent of chapter.

The General Assembly finds and determines that recent advances in genetic science have led to improvements in the diagnosis, treatment, and understanding of a significant number of human diseases. The General Assembly further finds and declares that:

(1) Genetic information is the unique property of the individual tested;

(2) The use and availability of information concerning an individual obtained through the use of genetic testing techniques may be subject to abuses if disclosed to unauthorized third parties without the willing consent of the individual tested;

(3) To protect individual privacy and to preserve individual autonomy with regard to an individual’s genetic information, it is appropriate to limit the use and availability of genetic information; and

(4) The intent of this chapter is to prevent accident and sickness insurance companies, health maintenance organizations, managed care organizations, and other payors from using information derived from genetic testing to deny access to accident and sickness insurance.

## History

Code 1981, § 33-54-1, enacted by Ga. L. 1995, p. 1242, § 4.

## Law Reviews

For article, ‘‘The Burden of Knowledge,’’ see 43 Ga. L. Rev. 297 (2009).