# 119-s-738: Dangerous Viral Gain of Function Research Moratorium Act

119-s-738, Dangerous Viral Gain of Function Research Moratorium Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Marshall, Roger [R-KS] (R-KS); status introduced (as of 2026-04-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-738
- As of: 2026-04-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-738
- Congress: 119
- Title: Dangerous Viral Gain of Function Research Moratorium Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-02-26
- Sponsor: Sen. Marshall, Roger [R-KS] (R-KS)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Policy area: Health
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2026-04-21

## Summary

**Blocks federal research grants for institutions that conduct dangerous “gain-of-function” viral research.** This bill would bar colleges and research institutes from receiving federal research grants for work that genetically alters viruses or other agents to increase infectivity, transmissibility, pathogenicity, or host range, and it names influenza, coronaviruses, and listed select agents as covered organisms. - Colleges and research institutes: Would lose eligibility for federal research grants if they conduct gain-of-function work as defined in the bill. - Scientists and research programs: Researchers studying altered viruses that could make them more infectious or deadly would no longer be able to get federal grant support for those projects. - Animal and agricultural research: Studies involving organisms that threaten human health or companion animals, livestock, poultry, seafood and aquaculture species, or game animals would be included in the funding ban.

## Cosponsors (1)

- Sen. Blackburn, Marsha [R-TN] (R-TN), 2025-02-26T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- No federal grants for risky research: benefit, medium. If enacted, the bill would bar federal research grants to colleges and research institutes that do gain-of-function research. Gain-of-function research means changing an organism's genes to make it more infectious, transmissible, pathogenic, or able to infect new hosts, or research likely to give t…

## Related bills

- 119-s-4744: Take Care of America’s Veterans Act
- 119-s-4952: Protecting American Taxpayers Act
- 119-s-1748: Kids Online Safety Act
- 119-s-2010: TERMS Act
- 119-s-292: Educational Choice for Children Act of 2025
- 119-s-882: Patients Before Middlemen Act

## Sources
- [119-s-738 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/738)

## Related
- [119-s-4744: Take Care of America’s Veterans Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4744)
- [119-s-4952: Protecting American Taxpayers Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4952)
- [119-s-1748: Kids Online Safety Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1748)
- [119-s-2010: TERMS Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2010)
- [119-s-292: Educational Choice for Children Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-292)
- [119-s-882: Patients Before Middlemen Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-882)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-738 (as of 2026-04-21).