Defense Biotechnology Strategy Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6009 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 6009

    To direct the Secretary of Defense to develop a strategy on the 
  national security implications of emerging biotechnologies, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 10, 2025

 Ms. Houlahan (for herself and Mr. Sessions) introduced the following 
  bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and in 
   addition to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, for a period to be 
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 
  of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
                               concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To direct the Secretary of Defense to develop a strategy on the 
  national security implications of emerging biotechnologies, and for 
                            other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Defense Biotechnology Strategy 
Act''.

SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE BIOTECHNOLOGY STRATEGY.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall, in coordination with the 
Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering and the Under 
Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, submit to the 
Committee on Armed Services of the Senate and the Committee on Armed 
Services of the House of Representatives a strategy on the national 
security implications of emerging biotechnologies, including the future 
role that biotechnology will play in defense, and means to improve 
industry, interagency, and international relationships in this sector.
    (b) Elements.--The strategy required pursuant to subsection (a) 
shall include the following elements:
            (1) How the Department of Defense will develop and expand a 
        network of commercial facilities for the biomanufacture of 
        products that are critical for defense needs.
            (2) Review and update of military specifications in order 
        to better incorporate or substitute current products with 
        biotechnology-based products.
            (3) Updated plans and policies for the Department to enter 
        into advance market commitments and offtake agreements for 
        biotechnology products that have defense applications.
            (4) A description of how the Department could better 
        incorporate military-relevant applications of emerging 
        biotechnology into wargaming exercises, tabletop exercises, or 
        other net assessment analyses.
            (5) The benefits and costs of issuing a research grand 
        challenge, or a series of challenges, that focus on making 
        biotechnology predictably engineerable and how the Department 
        would implement such research grand challenge, or challenges.
            (6) Development of a biotechnology regulation science and 
        technology program within the Department, including development 
        of digital infrastructure to support simplified regulation and 
        the development of biometrology tools.
            (7) Updated plans and policies for inter-governmental 
        support that the Department could provide in encouraging member 
        countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to 
        aggregate demand and pool purchasing power for biotechnology 
        products.
            (8) Review of plans and guidance on how the Department can 
        work to develop, integrate, and disseminate biotechnology 
        research initiatives across member countries of the North 
        Atlantic Treaty Organization, and how the Department might 
        coordinate with international stakeholders to utilize the 
        combined research capabilities of such member countries to 
        drive a biotechnology development approach.
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