To establish a Biotechnology Management Office in the Department of Defense and to provide support for the research and development of bioindustrial manufacturing processes, and for other purposes.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6664 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 6664

  To establish a Biotechnology Management Office in the Department of 
  Defense and to provide support for the research and development of 
     bioindustrial manufacturing processes, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 11, 2025

  Mr. Neguse introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To establish a Biotechnology Management Office in the Department of 
  Defense and to provide support for the research and development of 
     bioindustrial manufacturing processes, 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. BIOTECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT OFFICE.

    (a) Designation of Senior Official.--Not later than 90 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall 
designate a senior official, with relevant biotechnology experience, 
from a position within the Department of Defense that was in effect on 
the day before the date of the enactment of this Act, to--
            (1) be the senior official for biotechnology issues;
            (2) be the head of the Biotechnology Management Office 
        established under subsection (b); and
            (3) carry out the responsibilities for the office in 
        subsection (c).
    (b) Establishment of Biotechnology Management Office.--Not later 
than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary of Defense shall, with input from the senior official 
designated under subsection (a), charter and establish, under the 
authority, direction, and control of the Deputy Secretary of Defense, a 
Biotechnology Management Office to foster the development, acquisition, 
and sustainment of broad-based biotechnology capabilities for the 
Department.
    (c) Responsibilities.--The office established under subsection (b) 
shall be responsible for the following:
            (1) Maintaining and executing a long-term research, 
        development, acquisition, and sustainment roadmap.
            (2) Updating policies and guidance within the Department 
        relating to the acquisition, adoption, and transition of 
        biotechnology-based products into Department use.
            (3) Coordinating with activities across the Department, the 
        Federal Government, industry, academia, and international 
        partners relating to biotechnology.
            (4) Proposing options for streamlining the regulatory or 
        acquisition process of the Department.
            (5) Conducting, as may be needed, global competition 
        analyses, net assessment, or forecasting to support 
        decisionmakers on biotechnology advances.
            (6) Supporting the development of public-private 
        partnerships with academia, industry, and other State and local 
        government partners, including through the development or 
        fostering of regionally focused innovation ecosystems.
            (7) Identifying biotechnology workforce and training gaps 
        across the workforce of the Department.
            (8) Such other responsibilities as the Secretary considers 
        appropriate.
    (d) Sunset.--This section shall terminate on September 30, 2030.
    (e) Briefing.--Not later than 30 days after the designation of the 
senior official pursuant to subsection (a), the Secretary shall provide 
to the congressional defense committees a briefing on the proposed 
scope of the charter for the office to be established pursuant to 
subsection (b), as well as implementation plans for preliminary 
activities the office will pursue during the proceeding one-year 
period.

SEC. 2. SUPPORT FOR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OF BIOINDUSTRIAL 
              MANUFACTURING PROCESSES.

    Section 215 of the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization 
Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (Public Law 117-263; 10 U.S.C. 4841 note) is 
amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsections (d) through (f) as 
        subsections (e) through (g), respectively; and
            (2) by inserting after subsection (c) the following new 
        subsection:
    ``(d) Funding.--Funds authorized to be appropriated or otherwise 
made available to the Department of Defense for research, development, 
test, and evaluation may be used to carry out the activities described 
in subsection (c), including the design and construction activities 
described in subsection (c).''.
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