Senate Committee Again Advances Biotech Priorities for Defense

The Senate Armed Service Committee’s release of the FY27 NDAA cements biotechnology as a defense priority and builds on the strategic biotechnology provisions in last year’s NDAA.

19 June 2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Washington, DC – The

The Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) released its markup of the FY27 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and included a number of significant provisions focused on elevating and advancing biotechnology priorities for the U.S. defense and intelligence community.

The Pentagon has since made clear that biotechnology is a core technology on par with AI and quantum, and SASC built on the significant progress made in FY26 to further ensure biotech is able to fully realize its potential for the future of U.S. national security. See below for a list of key biotechnology provisions in the SASC-passed FY27 NDAA.

“My colleagues on the Senate Armed Services Committee are ensuring that biotechnology becomes a core component of U.S. defense and intelligence operations,” said NSCEB Chair Senator Todd Young. “Biotechnology innovation is accelerating quickly, and with it, the potential to reshape how we supply, fuel, feed, and heal American warfighters. By cementing biotechnology as a national defense priority, Congress will ensure that U.S. service members have access to the latest and most innovative technologies for future operational needs.”

SASC-PASSED BIOTECHNOLOGY PROVISIONS 

Bill Language

Chairman’s

Sec. 882: Directs the Secretary of Defense to prohibit certain covered entities that work with the Department from providing sensitive synthetic biology information to foreign entities of concern.

Sec. 1654: Requires the Secretary of Defense to develop a framework to evaluate and mitigate biosecurity risks posed by artificial intelligence models, as well as prohibits the Department of Defense from procuring artificial intelligence models that are inconsistent with the developed framework.

Report Language

Comptroller General Review of Military Specifications related to biotechnology: Directs the Comptroller General to conduct a comprehensive assessment of military product specifications (MIL-SPECs) to determine whether they disadvantage biotechnology-derived products and biomaterials.

Ensuring Commercialization for Shelf-Stable Blood Prototype: Directs the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering to provide a briefing on the status of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) shelf-stable blood program.

Net Assessment of Biotechnology efforts of China: Directs the Director of the Office of Net Assessment, in coordination with the Biotechnology Management Office, to provide a briefing on the current state of biotechnology in the U.S. vis-à-vis near-peer competitors, including an assessment of U.S. competitiveness in developing, scaling, and commercializing biotechnology.

Expanding Opportunities for Veterans in Emerging Technologies: Directs the Secretary of Defense to submit a report on expanding training and career pathway opportunities in emerging technologies, particularly biotechnology, for veterans.

Biochemical Sensing Technologies for Warfighter Readiness and Threat Detection: Requires a briefing on the Department of Defense’s efforts to develop, evaluate, and transition biochemical sensing technologies.

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