Section 05

Looking Ahead to 2026 and Beyond

Message from the Executive Director

As the Commission prepared to launch our final report and action plan last year, we knew 2025 would be pivotal. Some shifts were predictable—a change in the U.S. Administration, a new Five-Year Plan from the CCP, and the relentless pace of biotech discovery. Other successes were hoped for but never guaranteed: namely, the warm reception of the NSCEB’s work and the pace and significance of legislative progress we’ve made in less than a year.

Since the materials scientists among us haven’t yet fashioned a functioning crystal ball, we will leave the long-range forecasting to others. However, one thing is certain: 2026 will be a defining year for biotechnology policy in the United States.

The decisions made in the coming months will likely dictate the next several decades of American bio-innovation. The question remains: will policymakers take the decisive action necessary to retain—or in some cases, regain—U.S. leadership in this critical field?

The answer depends on you.

The Commission’s work stands on decades of effort from the organizations and individuals who preceded us. Our goal has been to catalyze that foundation of expertise into a unified purpose and to bridge the “bioliteracy” gap among policymakers.

By design, the Commission’s statutory authority sunsets at the end of 2026. We are immensely proud of the momentum we have built since April, and we intend to run through the tape. But we cannot achieve our ambitions without deepening and broadening this coalition.

If you have been waiting for the right moment to get involved, this is your sign. And if you have been with us since the beginning, thank you for your steadfast partnership.

We have 10 months to turn recommendations into reality and ensure that the future of biotechnology is defined by American values and ingenuity. Let’s get to work.

Caitlin Frazer

Executive Director