H.R. 2756 — National Biotechnology Initiative Act of 2025

This section defines key terms used in the Act, including (1) bioliteracy (i.e., imbuing people, personnel, or teams with an understanding of and ability to engage with biology and biotechnology); (2) biological data (i.e., information derived from the structure, function, or process of a biological system(s) that is measured, collected, or aggregated for analysis); (3) biomanufacturing (i.e., the application of biotechnology to manufacturing); (4) biotechnology (i.e., the application of science and engineering in the direct or indirect use of living organisms, or parts or products of living organisms, including modified forms); (5) Director of the National Biotechnology Coordination Office; (6) Initiative (i.e., the National Biotechnology Initiative established under section 3); (7) Interagency Committee (i.e., the interagency committee designated pursuant to section 10403(a)(1)); (8) Office (i.e., the National Biotechnology Coordination Office established under section 4(b)); and (9) participating agency (i.e., a department, office, or agency set forth under section 3(b)).

This section establishes the National Biotechnology Initiative, to be implemented by the President through the Executive Office of the President to advance national security, economic productivity, and competitiveness through federal biotechnology coordination. It designates 14 specified agencies—including the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Interior, and State; the Environmental Protection Agency; the National Aeronautics and Space Administration; the National Science Foundation; the Office of the Director of National Intelligence; the Office of the United States Trade Representative; and others as appropriate—as participants. It directs each participating agency head to carry out the initiative, including activities required by section 6 and by addressing and coordinating the following: (1) federal biotechnology activities, including creation of a national strategy; (2) national security implications of emerging biotechnology; (3) sustained R&D support to accelerate scientific understanding and technological innovation; (4) sustained support for biological data, databases, and related tools as a national resource; (5) private sector translation and commercialization of biotechnology products; (6) regulatory streamlining for such products; (7) biosafety and biosecurity issues; (8) domestic workforce development, including the federal workforce; (9) bioliteracy activities for policymakers, innovators, and the public; (10) international partnerships, including regulatory and commercial diplomacy; and (11) other activities as determined necessary by the Director of the National Biotechnology Coordination Office and the Interagency Committee.

This section establishes an interagency committee, to be designated by the President within 180 days of enactment, to coordinate activities of the Initiative. The committee comprises one Assistant Secretary-level member from each participating agency; has three co-chairpersons, including the Director of the National Biotechnology Coordination Office and two members selected by the committee (with two-year terms, the first staggered as three years and two years, no consecutive terms allowed, and provisions for vacancies and quorum); and requires members to oversee planning and management, support agency activities under the Initiative, share information, and communicate internally. This section also establishes, within 180 days of enactment, the National Biotechnology Coordination Office in the Executive Office of the President, appoints its Director (as principal advisor to the President on biotechnology), and specifies the office's functions and authorities. The office provides planning and coordination support to the interagency committee (including gap assessments, a fellowship program, a coordinated website, annual reports, and a national strategy); addresses national security implications of biotechnology (including counterintelligence and foreign investment coordination); and grants the Director authorities to advise the Office of Management and Budget on spending, convene the committee, coordinate regulation, hire staff, and enter contracts.

This section authorizes the Director of the National Biotechnology Coordination Office, in consultation with the Interagency Committee, to convene experts to assess and inform activities of the Initiative as deemed appropriate. It exempts such convenings from the two-year termination requirement for advisory committees under 5 U.S.C. §1013 (i.e., the provision requiring advisory committees to terminate after two years unless renewed by appropriate action).

This section requires the head of each participating agency to conduct or support specified activities, in coordination with the Office, to advance biotechnology across defense, human health, food and agriculture, energy, space, mining, environmental stewardship, and other sectors. The required activities are as follows: (1) **Planning and coordination**: (A) designate an Assistant Secretary-level lead for biotechnology activities as agency liaison to the Initiative and Interagency Committee member (if not already designated); (B) designate agency members for Interagency Committee subcommittees; (C) coordinate agency biotechnology activities with the Office; (D) implement applicable portions of the national strategy under section 4(e) to improve government efficiency and reduce redundancy; (E) provide biotechnology insights to other agency heads and Congress; and (F) leverage horizon scanning and technology foresight for U.S. leadership in biotechnology. (2) **National security**: (A) analyze threats from foreign adversary biotechnology development, including investments and acquisitions of U.S. capabilities, technologies, and biological data; (B) provide expertise on foreign adversarial investments and acquisitions; (C) identify actions to mitigate supply chain risks from foreign adversaries; (D) coordinate biotechnology threat and opportunity information sharing with foreign service officers; (E) coordinate industry threat information sharing, vulnerability disclosure, and risk mitigation for cybersecurity and infrastructure (including biological data and related physical/digital assets); and (F) improve cybersecurity and stress-test sensitive biological data and biotechnology infrastructure, tools, and instrumentation. (3) **Research and development**: (A) provide sustained support for biotechnology R&D to accelerate scientific understanding and technological innovation; (B) conduct joint agency solicitations and selections for grants and interdisciplinary research centers; (C) develop biotechnology instrumentation, equipment, and infrastructure (including for optimization, standardization, scaling, and delivery of new products/solutions); (D) develop standard reference materials and measurements for biotechnology interoperability; (E) increase understanding of biotechnology risks/benefits, including environmental effects; and (F) increase understanding of biotechnology's ethical, legal, and social implications (including public understanding research). (4) **Data and databases**: (A) provide sustained support for biological data, databases, and tools to advance human health and understanding of animals, plants, microbes, and other organisms; (B) establish, curate, and maintain genomics, epigenomics, omics, and other biological data/databases (e.g., via a centralized access hub with privacy/security protections); (C) develop standards for biological data curation, interoperability, privacy, and security; (D) develop computational tools (including AI) to accelerate biological data research/innovation; and (E) develop omics/bioinformatics tools for improved monitoring, management, assessments, and forecasts. (5) **Product commercialization**: (A) provide sustained support for private-sector translation and commercialization of biotechnology products (including biomanufacturing); (B) utilize Federal programs such as the Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR) and Small Business