Young, Padilla Introduce Bills on Intersection of Biotech, Agriculture, and National Security

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Todd Young (R-Ind.), chairman of the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology (NSCEB), and Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), a NSCEB commissioner, introduced a bipartisan package of bills focused on protecting America's food security and agriculture supply chains.

Senator Young led the introduction of the Synthetic Biology Advancement Act, which would accelerate innovation in food and agriculture by establishing a National Synthetic Biology Center. Young also introduced the National Biotechnology Safety Act, which would authorize the National Science Foundation to conduct research on the safety of biotechnology organisms, establishing clearer and more efficient approval pathways. Lastly, Young led the Biobased Market Expansion Act, which would reauthorize and strengthen the USDA BioPreferred Program to better support domestic biomanufacturing.

Senator Padilla led the introduction of the Agriculture and National Security Act, which would help identify and mitigate threats to food and agriculture, focusing on emerging technologies, by establishing an Assistant Secretary of Agriculture for National Security within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Padilla also introduced the Agricultural Biotechnology Coordination Act to establish the USDA Office of Biotechnology Policy to develop and coordinate department policies on biotechnology and biomanufacturing and prevent duplicative federal efforts. Lastly, Padilla led the Foundation for Enabling Biotechnology Innovation Act, which would accelerate U.S. biotechnology commercialization by establishing an independent foundation to ease regulatory burdens, foster public-private partnerships, expand market access and international cooperation, and support federal agency efforts.

Young and Padilla will seek to include these bills in the upcoming Farm Bill. All six bills were endorsed by the NSCEB.

"Biotechnology offers tremendous opportunities to strengthen America's food security and spur innovation in agriculture, both of which are critical to our national security," said Senator Young. "Our bills will help the United States maintain global leadership in emerging biotechnology and ensure the benefits reach more Americans."

"The security of our food systems is essential to our national security. We must prioritize American agricultural and emerging biotech innovation to strengthen our food supply chain as a critical infrastructure sector, while protecting our national security interests against rising global competition," said Senator Padilla. "Streamlining research and regulations on emerging biotechnology products is necessary to keep the United States at the forefront of safe, market-ready biotech development. Our bipartisan package will facilitate close interagency coordination to secure our agricultural sector and spur innovation."

"Farmers are the backbone of America, and we have a responsibility to make sure that future is secure. The NSCEB found that farming is already being shaped by innovations in biotechnology but more needs to be done so these advances further support food security and national security. The Commission is grateful to Commissioners Young and Padilla for their leadership to ensure the American people benefit from a strong, safe, and abundant agriculture industry for generations to come," said NSCEB Vice Chair Michelle Rozo.

The NSCEB was established by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 and charged with examining the critical intersection of emerging biotechnology and national security. The Commission delivered a comprehensive report and action plan to Congress in April. To read the full action plan, click here. To learn more about the NSCEB, click here.