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119-s-4491119th Congress

Biodefense Diplomacy Enhancement Act

Sponsored By: Senator Sheehy, Tim [R-MT]

Introduced

Summary

Builds a U.S.-led diplomatic framework to strengthen international cooperation on biodefense and biotechnology. This bill would push NATO and U.S. allies to coordinate policy, planning, and standards for detecting, responding to, and recovering from biological threats and misuse of biotech tools.

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  • NATO partners: Directs the Secretary of State to press NATO to prioritize biodefense, biosurveillance, biotechnology policy, and countermeasures. It would call for a NATO Biodefense Strategy that assesses gaps and recommends capability and planning fixes.
  • Allies and partners: Requires an International Biotechnology, Biosecurity, and Biodefense Cooperation Strategy with proposals for cooperation with major non-NATO allies, export-control coordination on dual-use biotech items, and steps to enforce the Biological Weapons Convention.
  • Scope and timeline: Limits strategies to threats defined in 18 U.S.C. 178 and would require an unclassified report to Congress within 270 days and a congressional briefing within 90 days after enactment. The bill also directs use of NADR (Nonproliferation, Anti-terrorism, Demining, and Related) programs and funds to support cooperation and export-control efforts.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

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

U.S. diplomacy to strengthen allied biodefense

This bill would require the Secretary of State to write two strategies on biodefense and biotechnology cooperation. The NATO strategy would assess U.S.–NATO cooperation, identify planning and capability gaps, and recommend ways to address them. The international strategy would propose commitments with allies, assess export‑control coordination (including beyond existing regimes), and review State Department NADR programs and funds. Both strategies would be limited to biological agents and toxins as defined in 18 U.S.C. §178. The State Department would push NATO and U.S. partners to improve detection, attribution, emergency response, recovery, interoperability, and research safety. It would also coordinate export controls with allies and work to enforce the Biological Weapons Convention. The Secretary would send a report with the strategies to Congress within 270 days in unclassified form, with a possible classified annex, and would brief Congress within 90 days.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Sheehy, Tim [R-MT]

MT • R

Cosponsors

  • Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH]

    NH • D

    Sponsored 5/12/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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