Cotton, Klobuchar Introduce Bill to Establish Federal Biotech Security Framework

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Patrick McCann (202) 224-2353
February 4, 2026

Cotton, Klobuchar Introduce Bill to Establish Federal Biotech Security Framework

Washington, DC - Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) introduced legislation to establish a federal biosecurity framework. The Biosecurity Modernization and Innovation Act will require gene synthesis providers screen their orders and customers for bad actors or dangerous pathogens, and will ensure that the U.S. government adopts a flexible and agile approach to biosecurity that will ensure American leadership in biosecurity.

"American innovations in biotechnology are too important to fall into the hands of bad actors or be hamstrung by outdated federal policies. This bill is an important first step towards a comprehensive framework for biosecurity and biosafety, which will encourage American innovation to flourish, while also protecting biotechnology breakthroughs in industries like medicine and agriculture," said Senator Cotton.

"While access to genetic material allows scientists to study diseases, develop lifesaving medicine, and improve crops, without safety standards it could be misused, including to create bioweapons. Our bipartisan legislation will enhance biosecurity efforts and reduce the risk of genetic material being used to cause harm by ensuring that the companies selling these products know who their customers are and how they will use genetic material," said Senator Klobuchar.

Text of the bill can be found here.

The Biosecurity Modernization and Innovation Act is endorsed by the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology, the Engineering Biology Research Consortium, Twist Bioscience, Aclid, Integrated DNA Technologies (IDT), and Gingko Bioworks, along with broad support among biosecurity and biotechnology policy researchers.

The Biosecurity Modernization and Innovation Act would:

• Direct the Secretary of Commerce to require gene synthesis providers screen their orders and customers to ensure bad actors aren't ordering dangerous sequences.
• Establish a biotechnology governance sandbox at NIST, which would provide a place for the testing of biosecurity tools and enable more flexible biosecurity policymaking to keep up with a rapidly advancing field.
• Require an assessment of the current landscape of federal biosecurity authorities and an evaluation and implementation plan of how to streamline oversight and address gaps; require the executive branch to begin carrying out such an implementation plan, within confines of current law.

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