Biodefense Diplomacy Enhancement Act
Sponsored By: Representative Self
In Committee
Summary
Biodefense and biosecurity cooperation would be elevated across U.S. diplomacy to boost international work on biosurveillance, countermeasures, and safe biotechnology. The State Department would lead coordination with NATO and other allies to strengthen defenses against biological threats.
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- NATO partners: The bill would direct U.S. diplomacy to push NATO to prioritize biodefense, assess capability gaps, and improve interoperability for detection, attribution, emergency response, and recovery.
- Non‑NATO allies and partners: The State Department would coordinate on export controls for dual‑use biotechnology, promote high safety and security standards for biological research, and collaborate on enforcing the Biological Weapons Convention.
- Strategy and congressional oversight: The bill would require two strategies (a NATO Biodefense Strategy and an International Biotechnology, Biosecurity, and Biodefense Cooperation Strategy), a report to Congress within 270 days, and a congressional briefing within 90 days.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
New NATO and global biodefense plans
If enacted, the State Department would have not later than 270 days to write two plans. One plan would focus on NATO cooperation and would assess U.S.–NATO work on biotechnology, biosurveillance, countermeasures, and other biodefense capabilities. The NATO plan would identify gaps, recommend steps to build capabilities and improve coordination, and could seek revisions to NATO CBRN policy and support higher safety standards in biological research. The other plan would set options for wider cooperation with major non‑NATO allies, study coordinating export controls for risky biotech items, and review Department of State NADR programs and funds for building partner capacity. Both plans would be limited to threats from biological agents and toxins defined in 18 U.S.C. §178.
Congress reports, briefings, and definitions
If enacted, the State Department would send the two required strategies to Congress in unclassified form, with a classified annex allowed, not later than 270 days after enactment. The Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security would brief the appropriate congressional committees within 90 days after major developments about the report and other material biotech or biosecurity changes. The bill would also define key terms used in these plans and name the committees that get the reports (House Committee on Foreign Affairs and Senate Committee on Foreign Relations).
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Self
TX • R
Cosponsors
Keating
MA • D
Sponsored 2/23/2026
Sherman
CA • D
Sponsored 3/3/2026
Baird
IN • R
Sponsored 3/3/2026
Lawler
NY • R
Sponsored 3/3/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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