The Legislature finds and declares: that hereditary disorders such as Cooley’s anemia, cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anemia, hemophilia, Huntington’s Disease, galactosemia and phenylketonuria often present a costly and tragic hardship for citizens of this State; that early detection of the disorders can alleviate some potentially harmful and disabling conditions; that hereditary disorders vary in their severity, with some having little effect and others having significant negative effect upon the normal functioning of individuals; that hereditary disorders also vary in their treatability, with some being subject to total or partial alleviation through medical intervention and treatment and others, currently, not being subject to any more than minimal alleviation; that medical knowledge concerning early identification and treatment of certain hereditary disorders is rapidly expanding; and that it is the policy of this State that in order to insure that standards for detection and treatment comply with the most recent medical knowledge and that the public is kept informed about these standards and the availability of treatment, it is necessary to establish an hereditary disorders program.

L.1981, c. 502, s. 2.