Engineering Biology Readiness Act

This bill extends a federal requirement for annual briefings to Congress on the National Biodefense Strategy, which ended in March 2025, to five years after the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027 becomes law. It also requires the next biennial biodefense threat assessment findings given to Congress to include an analysis of risks from engineering biology, meaning the misuse or accidental release of biological materials, methods, tools, or information. The findings must include recommendations on aligning federal research, updating biosafety and biosecurity rules and programs, proposed legislation, and estimated funding needs. Recommendations must be developed with input from industry, academia, and civil society, including researchers who have not received federal grants or contracts in the past five years. The report must be unclassified but may include a classified annex.

Full text and official record on Congress.gov

Sponsors

• Tim Kaine Democrat sponsor
• 1 cosponsors