The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a measure prohibiting health insurers from canceling or denying coverage or hiking premiums based on a genetic predisposition to a specific disease.

The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) also bars employers from using genetic information to hire, fire, promote or make any other employment-related decisions. It unanimously passed in the Senate, and President Bush is expected to sign it into law.

Physicians now have access to more than 1,000 genetic tests that diagnose or assess the risk of developing potentially life-threatening diseases, including breast cancer, diabetes, heart disease and Parkinson’s.