To amend title 31, United States Code, to establish the Life Sciences Research Security Board, and for other purposes.
Summary
What This Bill Does
The bill amends Subtitle V of title 31, United States Code, by adding a new chapter establishing the Life Sciences Research Security Board, establishes the definitional framework for the entire chapter, and establishes the Life Sciences Research Security Board as an independent agency within the Executive Branch. It relies on compliance mandates, reporting requirements, definition changes, and appropriations. The main policy areas are Healthcare, Biosecurity, Finance, and Education.
Who Benefits and How
Life Sciences Research Security Board could gain revenue opportunities, Congressional oversight committees would be affected, and Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee would be affected.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Federal agencies funding life sciences research would take on compliance duties, Universities and research institutions receiving federal life sciences funding would take on compliance duties, and Federal agencies seeking to fund high-risk life sciences research would take on compliance duties.
Key Provisions
- Amends Subtitle V of title 31, United States Code, by adding a new chapter establishing the Life Sciences Research Security Board.
- Establishes the definitional framework for the entire chapter.
- Establishes the Life Sciences Research Security Board as an independent agency within the Executive Branch.
- Establishes the Executive Director position and Board staffing framework.
- Defines the Board's mission as issuing independent, binding determinations on whether agencies may fund high-risk life sciences research.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
The bill amends Subtitle V of title 31, United States Code, by adding a new chapter establishing the Life Sciences Research Security Board, establishes the definitional framework for the entire chapter, and establishes the Life Sciences Research Security Board as an independent agency within the Executive Branch.
Key Policy Areas
Healthcare, Biosecurity, Finance, Education
Primary Purpose
The bill amends Subtitle V of title 31, United States Code, by adding a new chapter establishing the Life Sciences Research Security Board, establishes the definitional framework for the entire chapter, and establishes the Life Sciences Research Security Board as an independent agency within the Executive Branch.
Policy Domains
Whole Bill -- Life Sciences Research Security Board
Identified Gains
- Life Sciences Research Security Board
- Congressional oversight committees
- Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
- House Energy and Commerce Committee
- Compliance and regulatory affairs professionals
Identified Costs
- Federal agencies funding life sciences research
- Universities and research institutions receiving federal life sciences funding
- Federal agencies seeking to fund high-risk life sciences research
- Federal agencies funding life sciences research (NIH, DARPA, BARDA, DOE, DOD, USDA)
- Universities and research institutions seeking federal funding
Legislative Progress
IntroducedMr. Griffith introduced the following bill; which was referred to …
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Biosafety level 3 and 4 laboratory operators, Biotechnology companies conducting gain-of-function research, Biotechnology companies receiving federal research grants
Positive-direction: Nongovernmental life sciences experts eligible for Board appointment
Negative-direction: Biosafety level 3 and 4 laboratory operators, Biotechnology companies conducting gain-of-function research, Biotechnology companies receiving federal research grants, Contract research organizations (CROs), Entities conducting ongoing federally funded research that may be high-risk, Federal contractors working on life sciences research, Gain-of-function research labs, Pharmaceutical companies conducting pathogen research, Pharmaceutical companies receiving federal research funding, Research entities with pending high-risk life sciences proposals, Researchers conducting life sciences research in foreign countries, Researchers working with enumerated high-consequence pathogens, Subcontractors and subawardees of federally funded research, Vaccine and therapeutic developers working with live pathogens
Agency employees responsible for research grant oversight, Congressional oversight committees, Federal agencies (must designate full-time employee as Board representative)
Positive-direction: Congressional oversight committees, House Energy and Commerce Committee, Life Sciences Research Security Board, Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
Negative-direction: Agency employees responsible for research grant oversight, Federal agencies (must designate full-time employee as Board representative), Federal agencies funding life sciences research, Federal agencies funding life sciences research (NIH, DARPA, BARDA, DOE, DOD, USDA), Federal agencies seeking to fund high-risk life sciences research, Office of Government Ethics
Biosafety and biosecurity consulting firms, Compliance and regulatory affairs professionals, Life sciences and national security professionals eligible for Board staff
Universities and research institutions receiving federal life sciences funding, Universities and research institutions seeking federal funding
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_board"
- → Life Sciences Research Security Board (new independent agency)
- "the_director"
- → Director of the Office of Government Ethics (conflict of interest oversight)
- "the_president"
- → President of the United States (appoints Board members and Executive Director)
- "the_head_of_agency"
- → Head of any federal agency awarding life sciences research funding
- "the_executive_director"
- → Executive Director of the Board (confirmed by Senate, serves as chair)
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
Life sciences research that can reasonably be anticipated to provide knowledge, information, products, or technologies that could be misapplied to do harm and pose significant threats to public health, safety, agriculture, or national security. Includes research that could increase transmissibility, virulence, toxicity, stability, or immune evasion of pathogens.
Amounts awarded by an agency pursuant to an intramural or extramural grant, cooperative agreement, interagency agreement, contract, or other instrument.
A research experiment that may enhance the transmissibility or virulence of a high-consequence pathogen.
A wild-type or synthetic pathogen likely capable of wide uncontrollable spread causing moderate to severe disease/mortality in humans, or specifically enumerated pathogens including Ebola, Marburg, SARS-related (Sarbecovirus), MERS-related (Merbecovirus), influenza A, Nipah, Hendra, Variola, Mpox, plague (Yersinia pestis), and others.
Life sciences research that is either (A) dual use research of concern involving a high-consequence pathogen, or (B) gain of function research.
A select agent or toxin identified under 42 CFR 73.3(b), 7 CFR 331.3(b), or 9 CFR 121.3(b) as in effect on date of enactment.
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
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