Biosecurity Modernization and Innovation Act of 2026

This bill would require the Secretary of Commerce, within one year, to issue rules requiring companies that sell synthetic DNA or similar genetic material, or the machines that make it, to screen orders against a federal list of sequences of concern and to verify customers' identity and legitimacy. It would set up audits and testing to check that providers follow the rules, and require people who receive federal funds to buy only from providers that comply. The Attorney General could sue violators, with damages of up to $500,000 for individuals and $750,000 for other entities, adjusted for inflation. The bill would also create a federal testing environment for biosecurity tools and require the White House science office to review federal biosecurity oversight and carry out a plan to streamline it.

Full text and official record on Congress.gov

Sponsors

• Tom Cotton Republican sponsor
• 9 cosponsors