•http://www.genome.gov/LegislativeDatabase

A new web-based searchable database for US genetics-related policy and legislative documents promises to be a valuable resource for anyone interested in this ever-expanding and important area.

Francis Collins, director of the US National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), said this tool will be useful for everybody “...from academic researchers seeking to patent genetic technologies to average citizens trying to determine what protections exist in their states against genetic discrimination.”

Database users can find legislation and laws from specific states through an interactive US map, as well as doing more specific searches for particular combinations of content type (for example, federal legislative materials), topic (such as genetic testing and counselling) and source (for example, the Department of Health and Human Services). Keyword searching is also possible, but only for words in document titles, not those in their content. Perhaps the most useful 'value-added' feature that the database incorporates is a summary, in layman's terms, of each document: this enables quick identification of relevant documents without the need to trawl through pages of legalistic jargon.

Of course, one of the biggest limitations of this extremely useful tool is that it only encompasses US policy and legislation. However, this focus is understandable given that the US National Institutes of Health fund this resource. Moreover, the addition of further content categories this autumn, such as foreign statutes and laws and policy material from international organizations, will, at least partially, address this limitation.