Cotton Introduces Bill to Protect American Biotech Innovation from Communist China

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Patrick McCann (202) 224-2353
December 12, 2025

Cotton Introduces Bill to Protect American Biotech Innovation from Communist China

Washington, DC - Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), Senator Maggie Hassan (D-New Hampshire), and Senator Ted Budd (R-North Carolina) yesterday introduced legislation to protect American proprietary research from Communist China. The Biological IP Protection Act will ensure that cutting edge American IP is not given to our foreign adversaries.

Representative Warren Davidson (Ohio-08) and Representative Chrissy Houlahan (Pennsylvania-06) introduced companion legislation in the House.

"It's essential that we protect cutting edge American proprietary research from our chief foreign adversaries. Our bill will ensure that Communist China doesn't have access to the intellectual property that drives American biotech innovation," said Senator Cotton.

"We must prevent our adversaries, like China, from stealing America's cutting-edge intellectual property. This bill will help protect our national security and safeguard American biotechnology advancements, so these important assets don't end up in the hands of our foreign adversaries," said Senator Hassan.

"America's intellectual property must be protected from the malign efforts of our adversaries. This bill will put reasonable safeguards in place to protect our growing biotechnology sector from Chinese industrial espionage," said Senator Budd.

"America's biotechnology industry drives innovation, fuels economic growth, and underpins our national security. Yet foreign adversaries that violate trade rules and steal U.S. intellectual property increasingly seek dominance over critical biotech supply chains. We lose billions in IP every year because we haven't taken the steps necessary to de-risk this sector. That's why I'm proud to join Rep. Houlahan and Senators Cotton and Hassan in introducing theBiotechnology Intellectual Property Protection Act of 2025," said Congressman Davidson.

Text of the bill can be found here.

The Biological IP Protection Act would:

• Require a license before the export, reexport, or in-country transfer of a designed synthetic DNA sequence to a foreign entity of concern, like China or Russia.
• Allow exemptions to ensure individuals can continue to conduct fundamental research, teach courses, or publish academic work.

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