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HR5747119th CongressWALLET

Preventing Illegal Laboratories and Protecting Public Health Act of 2025

Sponsored By: Representative Costa, Jim [D-CA-21]

Introduced

Summary

This bill would require electronic tracking of transfers of highly pathogenic agents and would strengthen federal oversight of high-containment laboratories. It would direct HHS, acting through the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), to list high-risk agents and to require covered distributors to keep detailed electronic logbooks of every sale, lease, loan, or transfer.

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  • Distributors and purchasers: Covered distributors would have to record each transfer in an electronic logbook with the agent name, purchaser contact details, intended use and housing, date/time and method of transfer, and the purchaser's signature. Distributors must verify government-issued ID, give purchasers a criminal-penalty notice, and retain entries for at least three years.
  • Repositories, biobanks, and institutions: Publicly funded repositories and biobanks that transfer agents would be treated as covered distributors. If ownership of a distributor changes the successor would assume custody of the logbooks for the remaining retention period.
  • Federal oversight and labs: The National Security Advisor would designate a single federal entity to conduct periodic strategic evaluations of high-containment laboratories and to report recommendations to the President and Congress. That entity would create a Public Health Biosafety and Biosecurity Team as a federal point of contact within one year and HHS would publish an initial list of high-risk agents in six months with annual updates.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

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

One agency would oversee high-security labs

The National Security Advisor would pick one federal agency to lead reviews of high-containment labs. That agency would set up a Public Health Biosafety and Biosecurity Team within one year. It would regularly check how many labs exist, where they are, their missions, capacity, security, and overall risks, and recommend fixes. It would develop up-to-date national standards for lab design, construction, operation, and maintenance. It would also study whether to build a government-accessible database of these labs and report results to Congress, and send reports on each strategic review to the President and Congress.

HHS would list highly dangerous agents

HHS would create an official list of highly pathogenic agents. The first list would be due within 6 months of enactment and updated every year. HHS would consult CDC, NIH, DHS, USDA, Interior, and Defense and follow current biosafety and NIH guidance when updating the list.

New logbooks and ID checks for dangerous agents

Distributors of listed high-risk agents would have to keep an electronic log of every sale, lease, loan, or transfer. They would record the agent name, buyer contact details, intended use, where it will be housed, dates and method, and a buyer signature. Before a transfer, distributors would check a government photo ID (or an allowed alternative), make sure names match, and collect the signed entry. Entries would be kept at least 3 years, and a new owner must keep them if the business is sold. Data use would be limited to health, safety, national security, and compliance, and the logs would be exempt from public records requests. The log must warn buyers that false statements could bring federal criminal penalties.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Costa, Jim [D-CA-21]

CA • D

Cosponsors

  • Rep. Valadao, David G. [R-CA-22]

    CA • R

    Sponsored 10/14/2025

  • Rep. Kiley, Kevin [I-CA-3]

    CA • I

    Sponsored 10/21/2025

  • Rep. Fong, Vince [R-CA-20]

    CA • R

    Sponsored 12/5/2025

  • Rep. Lee, Susie [D-NV-3]

    NV • D

    Sponsored 2/4/2026

  • Rep. Titus, Dina [D-NV-1]

    NV • D

    Sponsored 2/9/2026

  • Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1]

    PA • R

    Sponsored 4/9/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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