Illinois Genetic Information Privacy Act (GIPA)
The Illinois Genetic Information Privacy Act (GIPA), enacted in 1998, bars employers from conditioning employment on genetic information and grants a private right of action with per-violation damages and no statutory cap. Litigation surged, with more than 50 GIPA suits filed in 2023. It contrasts with the federal Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) (2008): GIPA is an older STATE law distinguished by its private right of action and uncapped per-violation damages.
The Illinois Genetic Information Privacy Act (GIPA) was enacted in 1998. It prohibits employers from conditioning employment on an employee's genetic information and sets the legal bases for sharing genetic information without consent.
GIPA grants a private right of action to aggrieved individuals, with significant per-violation monetary damages and no statutory cap. Litigation surged: more than 50 GIPA suits were filed in 2023 as plaintiffs' attorneys revived the older statute.
Contrast GIPA with the federal Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA), enacted in 2008, which also protects genetic information in employment and health insurance. GIPA is an older Illinois STATE law, distinguished from GINA by its private right of action and uncapped per-violation damages.