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119-s-3741119th CongressWALLET

Biosecurity Modernization and Innovation Act of 2026

Sponsored By: Senator Cotton, Tom [R-AR]

Introduced

Summary

Centralize and strengthen nucleic acid synthesis security. This bill would require mandatory screening of gene synthesis orders, create a federal list and conformity system for sequences of concern, and launch a governance sandbox to test rules and standards.

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  • Covered providers and industry would have to screen orders, verify customer identity, support privacy‑preserving split‑order detection, and undergo a conformity assessment with audits. Selling to recipients of Federal funds would require compliance and civil penalties could reach up to $500,000 for individuals and $750,000 for non‑individuals.
  • Researchers and academic institutions would get safeguards to limit burden, including expedited reviews for accredited higher education institutions, exemptions for clearly non‑hazardous sequences, and a technical assistance program for ambiguous screening results.
  • Federal agencies would be pushed to consolidate and streamline biosecurity authorities via a plan due within 90 days and would create a Biotechnology Governance Sandbox within one year to test approaches. Regulations must be updated at least every two years and agencies must report annually on implementation and provider verification.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

3 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.

Federal biosecurity review and consolidation plan

If enacted, the OSTP Director would complete an inventory and assessment of federal biosecurity and biosafety authorities within 90 days. The assessment would include stakeholder engagement, identify overlaps and funding gaps, and evaluate whether to consolidate guidance or create a new entity. The Director would send the assessment and an implementation plan to Congress within 90 days after finishing it and start administrative steps within 90 days after that.

New screening rules and penalties for providers

If enacted, the Secretary of Commerce would set mandatory screening rules for companies that sell synthetic DNA or synthesizer equipment. Covered providers would have to verify customer identity, use privacy-preserving order screening and split-order detection, and screen against a government list of "sequences of concern" within 1 year. A federal conformity program would audit providers, run adversarial tests, and could revoke compliance status. Anyone who gets Federal funds would have to buy only from compliant providers within 1 year. The Attorney General could sue violators and courts could award damages up to $500,000 for individuals and $750,000 for non-individuals, with those amounts adjusted yearly for inflation.

New government biotech testing sandbox

If enacted, the Under Secretary for Standards and Technology would set up a biotechnology governance "sandbox" within 1 year. The sandbox would let government, industry, academics, and civil-society experts test biosecurity tools in secure settings and fund measurement research to help set standards. The Under Secretary could contract with private partners or other agencies to run tests. The sandbox would report yearly to the Secretary of Commerce on findings and promising approaches.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Cotton, Tom [R-AR]

AR • R

Cosponsors

  • Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN]

    MN • D

    Sponsored 1/29/2026

  • Sen. Budd, Ted [R-NC]

    NC • R

    Sponsored 6/3/2026

  • Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE]

    DE • D

    Sponsored 6/3/2026

  • Sen. McCormick, David [R-PA]

    PA • R

    Sponsored 6/11/2026

  • Sen. Hickenlooper, John W. [D-CO]

    CO • D

    Sponsored 6/11/2026

  • Sen. Banks, Jim [R-IN]

    IN • R

    Sponsored 9/16/2026

  • Sen. Hassan, Margaret Wood [D-NH]

    NH • D

    Sponsored 9/16/2026

  • Sen. Young, Todd [R-IN]

    IN • R

    Sponsored 9/22/2026

  • Sen. Slotkin, Elissa [D-MI]

    MI • D

    Sponsored 9/22/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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