Web of Biological Data Act of 2026
Sponsored By: Senator Young, Todd [R-IN]
Introduced
Summary
Creates a single, centralized "Web of Biological Data" to give researchers one entry point for federally funded biological datasets and make those data AI-ready. This bill would pair that Web with a research and development program to improve how biological data are generated, stored, curated, and managed.
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- Researchers: Would get a single entry point and standardized metadata and formats aimed at usability and interoperability, with a Phase I test due within 2 years and Phase II expansion by year 5.
- National Laboratories, academia, and industry: A National Laboratory would be competitively selected to run the Web and lead a parallel R&D program, with authority for cost-sharing and partnerships to support data curation and sharing.
- Privacy, biosecurity, and cybersecurity: Requires tiered cybersecurity safeguards, limits on sharing with adversarial or nonreciprocal countries, an independent biennial cybersecurity assessment, and protections for privacy, informed consent, and human-subject rules.
*This bill would authorize roughly $340 million for the first three years and $160 million over the following two years, about $500 million in total, increasing federal spending.*
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 4 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Create a national biological data Web
If enacted, the Secretary would pick a National Laboratory by competition within 180 days to build a Web of Biological Data. The Director would test a first Web version within 2 years and expand it for broad U.S. research use within 5 years. The Web would host or link to federally funded biological data, adopt NIST-based APIs and AI-ready formats, and use tiered security that can block access for adversarial or non-reciprocal countries. The bill would authorize about $310 million for Phase I, $30 million for a concurrent R&D program (first 3 years), and $80 million per year for two years after Phase I.
Keep existing privacy and consent rules
If enacted, this bill would not change existing privacy, consent, or human-subject protections for biological data on the Web. Existing legal limits on data use, informed consent rules, and protections against re-identification or unauthorized disclosure would still apply to data hosted in or accessed through the Web.
New advisory board to guide the Web
If enacted, the Director would chair an advisory board set up within 180 days of picking the lab. The board would have 11 other members: 4 industry, 2 academics, 2 other national lab reps, and 3 federal agency reps, including at least one biosecurity expert. The bill would say the Federal Advisory Committee Act does not apply to this board.
Reporting and cybersecurity checks
If enacted, the Director would send an implementation plan to Congress within 1 year and a progress report within 2 years and annually after. Reports must list data amounts accessible by API, partners, user testing, and cybersecurity issues and fixes. The Director would also seek an outside contractor to run independent cybersecurity assessments every two years after the Web starts.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Young, Todd [R-IN]
IN • R
Cosponsors
Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA]
CA • D
Sponsored 6/11/2026
Sen. Kim, Andy [D-NJ]
NJ • D
Sponsored 6/11/2026
Sen. Rounds, Mike [R-SD]
SD • R
Sponsored 6/11/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov