California Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill Friday that would have set state rules for sharing genetic information held by direct-to-consumer testing companies out of concern it could impede reporting of coronavirus test results.
The bill (S.B. 980) could interfere with laboratories’ mandatory requirement to report Covid-19 test outcomes to local public health departments and the state, Newsom said in a veto message.
Reporting is critical to the state’s response to the pandemic “and we cannot afford to unintentionally impede that effort,” the Democratic governor said.
But Newsom said he agrees that strong privacy rights and protections ...