Alabama ยท Legislation

HB 449 (2025)

Unlawful use of DNA

Status
Died
Effective date
Not stated
Last reviewed
September 2, 2026
Source review
Primary source reviewed

Summary

Alabama HB 449 did not become law. It would have created first-, second-, and third-degree offenses for intentionally collecting, retaining, testing, disclosing, selling, or transferring another person's DNA sample or genetic data without express consent in specified circumstances.

Topics: Privacy

What it requires or prohibits

The engrossed bill would have assigned different criminal penalties to DNA sale or transfer, unauthorized genetic testing or disclosure, and collection or retention of DNA samples. It used definitions from Alabama's Genetic Data Privacy Act.

In plain language

The proposal would have criminalized several intentional uses of another person's DNA without permission. Because it died after passing the House, the proposed offenses and penalties never took effect.

Related records

Primary sources

Record details

Record metadata
Record history
  1. March 18, 2025: Bill introduced and referred to the House Judiciary Committee. Source: Alabama Legislature.
  2. April 29, 2025: House passed the bill as amended. Source: Alabama Legislature.
  3. May 6, 2025: Senate committee reported the bill and placed it on the calendar. Source: Alabama Legislature.
  4. May 14, 2025: Bill died when the 2025 regular session adjourned without final passage. Source: Alabama Legislature.
  5. August 31, 2026: Record created from the engrossed bill and legislative history.
  6. September 2, 2026: Project-authored analysis revised after primary-source review.
Technical metadata

Record ID: al-hb-449-2025

Topics: privacy

Record data file: data/states/alabama/al-hb-449-2025.yaml

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Cite this record

Who Owns Your DNA? HB 449 (2025): Unlawful use of DNA. U.S. Genetics & Genomics Law and Policy Tracker. Record version 1.1. Accessed [date]. https://whoownsyourdna.org/records/al-hb-449-2025/

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