Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I echo the chairman's sentiments. Thank you for your testimony here this morning. Like all of you sitting at that end, I'm excited about this legislation. In general, I support it; it may require a bit of tweaking yet.
As technology develops and there are advances in what we're able to do from a medical perspective in gene testing and DNA testing, I think it's important that we also create the proper parameters that as a society and as a country we decide we want to operate within.
All of you so far have indicated that you provide wholehearted support for the bill as presented, without amendment. I do have some questions. I want to refer specifically to clause 6, which is an exception clause. This particular legislation provides very clearly that anybody is prohibited from providing goods or services or requiring people to undergo DNA tests with the exception of the health care community: health care practitioners, researchers, physicians, or pharmacists.
Help me understand why they should be exempt from exercising discrimination against individuals.