The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act was passed by the majority in the House of Representatives and the Senate.

The bill that makes it illegal for employers and insurance companies to discriminate against anyone who turns out to have a predisposition to some illnesses was signed by George W. Bush on Wednesday.

According to Reuters, the president said that this was also a tribute to Senator Kennedy who had been working for over ten years to get this bill signed.

This legislation has been sitting on the shelf for 13 years and it was first introduced in 1995 by Rep. Louise Slaughter, a New York Democrat.

Bush also added that the bill will protect the U.S. citizens “from having genetic information misused, and this bill does so without undermining the basic premise of the insurance industry,” reported Reuters.

The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act makes sure that people will not loose their jobs or health insurance if DNA tests show that they have a genetic predisposition to some particular diseases such as cancer, diabetes or others. The law also bars employers from using one’s genetic information in other actions like hiring, firing or promoting an employee. Health insurers are forbidden to require a DNA test.

This is an important step, because supporters of the law said that people, for fear of loosing their health insurance coverage or their jobs, refused some test that could have helped them discover a treatment for a disease.

This measure was supported by health insurers also, but the U.S. Chamber of Commerce opposed it.