HR6009-119

What This Bill Does

The Defense Biotechnology Strategy Act directs DOD to produce a detailed strategy on emerging biotechnology and national security. Within one year, the Secretary of Defense must coordinate with the Under Secretary for Research and Engineering and the Under Secretary for Acquisition and Sustainment and submit the strategy to the House and Senate Armed Services Committees. The strategy must explain how DOD will develop and expand commercial biomanufacturing facilities for defense-critical products, update military specifications to incorporate or substitute biotechnology-based products, update plans for advance market commitments and offtake agreements, integrate biotechnology applications into wargaming and net assessments, evaluate a biotechnology research grand challenge, develop a biotechnology regulatory science and technology program with digital infrastructure and biometrology tools, encourage NATO members to aggregate demand and pool purchasing power, and coordinate biotechnology research initiatives across NATO and other international stakeholders.

Who Benefits and How

Defense biotechnology companies benefit because the strategy must address commercial biomanufacturing networks, advance market commitments, and offtake agreements. DOD research and acquisition offices benefit from a roadmap for specifications, defense applications, regulatory science, and biotechnology procurement. NATO member countries benefit if the strategy supports pooled demand, purchasing power, and cross-country research initiatives. Biomanufacturing facilities benefit from potential defense demand for products critical to military needs.

Who Bears the Burden and How

The Secretary of Defense must coordinate and submit the strategy within one year. The Under Secretary for Research and Engineering and the Under Secretary for Acquisition and Sustainment must contribute technical, procurement, and policy plans. DOD acquisition and standards officials must review military specifications, advance market commitments, offtake agreements, and procurement policies. Defense biotechnology firms may need to meet military specifications, regulatory science requirements, and biometrology expectations to benefit.

Key Provisions

• Requires a DOD biotechnology strategy within one year for the Armed Services Committees.
• Requires plans for defense-critical commercial biomanufacturing facilities.
• Requires review of military specifications and procurement tools such as advance market commitments and offtake agreements.
• Requires biotechnology applications in wargaming, tabletop exercises, and net assessments.
• Requires analysis of research grand challenges, regulatory science, digital infrastructure, and biometrology tools.
• Requires plans for NATO demand aggregation, pooled purchasing, and international biotechnology research coordination.