National Biotechnology Safety Act

This bill directs the National Science Foundation to create a program that funds research on the risks of releasing organisms made with biotechnology into the environment. Universities, nonprofits, companies, and other groups could receive grants or other awards, with priority for research on unintended genetic changes, gene transfer to wild organisms, monitoring of spread, and risks from combining biotechnology with artificial intelligence. It authorizes $50 million per year for fiscal years 2026 through 2030 for this program. The bill also requires the Foundation to contract with the National Academies for a two-phase study on the safety and benefits of biotechnology, with public reports, and then to send Congress a plan to close research gaps; $1.5 million is authorized for the study in 2026.

Full text and official record on Congress.gov

Sponsors

• Todd Young Republican sponsor
• 1 cosponsors