Congress Takes Steps to Make Biological Data a Strategic National Resource
As AI converges with biotechnology, the U.S. government must lead in the curation, management, and protection of biological data necessary to ensure America continues to lead the world in AIxBio
11 June 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Washington, DC – Today, a bipartisan and bicameral group of Members of Congress introduced legislation to provide streamlined access to high-quality biological data for U.S. researchers in the era of AIxBio. The Web of Biological Data Act of 2026 was introduced by Senator Todd Young (R-IN), Chair of the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology (NSCEB), Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA), NSCEB Commissioner, Senator Mike Rounds (R-SD), Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ), and Representatives Jake Auchincloss (D-MA) and Matt Van Epps (R-TN).
In its April 2025 report, the NSCEB concluded that the U.S. must start treating biological data as a strategic national resource in order to retain, and in some cases regain, global biotech leadership. The United States does not take a coordinated approach to managing biological data. By contrast, China’s approach to biological data involves accessing and exploiting publicly available data from around the world, while harvesting its own domestic datasets and closing them off to the rest of the world.
The Web of Biological Data Act of 2026 helps accomplish this goal by directing the Secretary of Energy to establish the Web of Biological Data (WOBD), a single point of entry for U.S. researchers to securely access high-quality, AI-ready biological datasets from different sources. This reflects a key recommendation from the NSCEB’s April 2025 Action Plan and report.
LEGISLATIVE DETAILS
If enacted, the Web of Biological Data Act would require:
- A selected DOE national lab to execute the WOBD, starting with an initial pilot focused on a preliminary set of specific biological data subtypes, cybersecurity safeguards, and research and development (R&D) projects to improve the science of biological data management and curation within one year.
- The selected national lab would expand the WOBD to a fully realized single point of-access for biological data with interoperability frameworks, quality standards, user friendly interfaces, and mature cybersecurity requirements within five years.
Read the WOBD fact sheet here.
“High-quality, AI-ready biological data will be the foundation of future American biotechnology innovation. This bill would unleash researchers to focus on innovation while preserving existing privacy protections, and it would secure U.S. biological data from exploitation by the Chinese Communist Party. This data is a strategic national resource that will prime the best and brightest in American biotechnology to launch U.S. innovation into the age of AI,” said NSCEB Chair Senator Todd Young (R-IN)
“As scientific developments accelerate AI capabilities, we must prioritize establishing a centralized and secure biological data infrastructure to ensure safe access to data that will drive innovation,” said NSCEB Commissioner Senator Alex Padilla. “The Web of Biological Data Act will create a single, trusted point of entry for researchers to access high-quality data to better facilitate research, while protecting sensitive biological data.”
“Federal biological data could ultimately be the key to unlocking the next generation of medical and scientific breakthroughs. By implementing a streamlined system with crucial privacy protections, this bill would accelerate AI-driven discoveries in biotechnology and bring us closer and closer to treatments, cures, and other life-changing innovations.” said Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ)
“AI is changing how we work, and biotechnology is changing how we research and innovate. At the center of this convergence is high-quality biological data. Right now, we lack a standardized resource which limits the usability of existing biological datasets and forces researchers to spend more time on data input and curation than innovation. The Web of Biological Data Act will correct that, freeing up scientists to innovate and keeping the United States at the forward edge of discovery,” said Representative Matt Van Epps (R-TN)
“Discoveries in diseases like Schizophrenia & Alzheimer’s have been slower than other ailments, in part due to the immense complexity of overlaying genomic, biologic and neurologic vectors. More & better data can empower researchers to explore the etiology of these diseases at the intersection of disciplines,” said Representative Jake Auchincloss (D-MA)
EXTERNAL ENDORSEMENTS
“Advancing biotechnology will require more than breakthrough discoveries. It will demand stronger connections between research institutions and disparate sources of data,” Indiana University President Pamela Whitten said. “The Web of Biological Data will be a crucial resource to help translate bioscience findings into real-world applications, while ensuring American leadership in biotechnology innovation. It also aligns with the work of our own IU LAB National Security Biotechnology Challenge Grant, which aims to invest in the nation’s global competitiveness and unlock the full potential of American bioscience research.”
“Pittsburgh is already pushing the frontier of AI-driven biology, and we know what truly accelerates discovery is powering world-class talent with access to high-quality data,” said Megan Shaw, CEO of Pittsburgh Life Sciences Alliance. “The NSCEB’s recommendations on biological data get it right: When you combine bleeding edge AI capabilities with high-quality, well-curated datasets, you unlock faster breakthroughs, strengthen companies and the economy, and fuel the ingenuity that keeps the U.S. at the forefront of innovation.”
“The future of biomanufacturing is being written by AI-accelerated discovery in biotechnology,” said Brooke Coleman, Executive Director of the American Alliance for Biomanufacturing. “High-quality biological datasets are what allow AI-driven tools to design better organisms, optimize processes, and scale production efficiently. In our ecosystem, where AIxBio capabilities are rapidly advancing, data isn’t just an input—it’s the engine driving the next generation of biomanufacturing.”
OTHER LEGISLATION THAT SUPPORTS A STRONG AIXBIO FUTURE
The introduction of the Web of Biological Data Act is the latest step taken by lawmakers to prioritize American innovation in the age of AI and biotechnology. Earlier this year, Members of the Senate and House of Representatives introduced several other key bills that reflect critical biological data recommendations made by the NSCEB.
These include:
America’s Living Library Act (H.R. 7832/S. 4023)– This bill would initiate a project to collect, catalog, and sequence genomic information of animals, plants, fungi, and microbes on U.S. public lands, providing researchers with previously untapped biological data resources.
Cloud Labs to Advance Biotechnology Act (H.R. 7801/S. 2676)- The Cloud LAB Act would establish a national network of cloud labs for the purposes of generating high-quality biological data through automated instrumentation. These cloud labs would provide researchers with greater access to high-quality experimental instrumentation and data collection to advance their research and train future AI models.
AI-Ready Bio-Data Standards Act (H.R. 7907/S. 4069)– This bill would facilitate the development of standards and frameworks to make biological data ready for use in AI models and create minimum requirements of qualified federally funded research that ensure resulting biological data are AI-ready.
About NSCEB: The National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology is a time-limited, high-impact legislative branch advisory entity whose purpose is to advance and secure biotechnology, biomanufacturing, and associated technologies for U.S. national security and to prepare the United States for the bioindustrial revolution. The Commission published a comprehensive report in April 2025, including recommendations for action by Congress and the federal government. The bipartisan Commission is composed of Congressionally-appointed Commissioners with members from both the Senate and the House of Representatives as well as experts from industry, academia, and government. For more information about the Commission and to view the report, visit: biotech.senate.gov.
Contacts:
NSCEB: press@biotech.senate.gov
