I 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 6363 

To direct the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a study 

on funding to entities utilizing such funding for human genomic sequencing or genetic services. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 10, 2022 

Mr. BUCSHON introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Energy and Commerce 

A BILL 

To direct the Comptroller General of the United States to 

conduct a study on funding to entities utilizing such 

funding for human genomic sequencing or genetic services. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Genetic Sequencing 

5 Accountability Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. GAO STUDY. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Comptroller General of the 

8 United States (referred to in this section as the ‘‘CompVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:11 Jan 11, 2022 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6363.IH H6363

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1 troller General’’) shall conduct a study to assess the extent 

2 to which the Department of Health and Human Services 

3 (referred to in this section as the ‘‘Department’’) utilizes 

4 or provides funding to entities that utilize such funds for 

5 human genomic sequencing services or genetic services (as 

6 such term is defined in section 201(6) of the Genetic In7 formation Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (42 U.S.C. 

8 2000ff(6))) provided by entities organized under the laws 

9 of a country or countries of concern, in the estimation of 

10 the Director of National Intelligence or the head of an11 other Federal department or agency, as appropriate. 

12 (b) CONSIDERATIONS.—In carrying out the study 

13 under this section, the Comptroller General shall— 

14 (1) consider— 

15 (A) what is known about the extent to 

16 which the country or countries of concern could 

17 obtain human genomic information of citizens 

18 and residents of the United States from such 

19 entities that sequence, analyze, collect, or store 

20 human genomic information and which the Di21 rector of National Intelligence or the head of 

22 another Federal department or agency reason23 ably anticipates may use such information in a 

24 manner inconsistent with the national security 

25 interests of the United States; 


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1 (B) whether the Department or recipient 

2 of such funds from the Department sought to 

3 provide funding to, or to use, domestic entities 

4 with no such ties to the country or countries of 

5 concern for such purposes and any barriers to 

6 the use of domestic entities; and 

7 (C) whether the Department has processes 

8 in place to ensure that data use agreements, 

9 data security measures, and other such meas10 ures taken by the Department or recipient of 

11 such funds from the Department are sufficient 

12 to protect the identifiable, sensitive information 

13 of the people of the United States and the na14 tional security interests of the United States; 

15 and 

16 (2) make recommendations to address any 

17 vulnerabilities to the United States national security 

18 identified, as appropriate. 

19 (c) ESTIMATION.—In conducting the study under this 

20 section, the Comptroller General may, as appropriate and 

21 necessary to complete such study, investigate specific in22 stances of such utilization of genetic sequencing services 

23 or genetic services, as described in subsection (a), to 

24 produce estimates of the potential prevalence of such utili25 zation among entities in receipt of Departmental funds. 


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1 (d) REPORT.—Not later than 2 years after the date 

2 of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall 

3 submit a report on the study under this section to the 

4 Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

5 and the Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate, 

6 and the Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Per7 manent Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of 

8 Representatives. The report shall be submitted in unclassi9 fied form, to the extent practicable, but may include a 

10 classified annex. 

Æ 


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