I 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 9626 
To direct the Department of Defense to develop a plan for the establishment 
of a secure computing and data storage environment for the testing 
of artificial intelligence trained on biological data, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 17, 2024 
Mr. KHANNA introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Armed Services 
A BILL 
To direct the Department of Defense to develop a plan 
for the establishment of a secure computing and data 
storage environment for the testing of artificial intel-
ligence trained on biological data, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘AIxBio Defense Sand-
box Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. PLAN FOR ESTABLISHMENT OF SECURE COM-
PUTING AND DATA STORAGE ENVIRONMENT 
FOR TESTING OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE 
TRAINED ON BIOLOGICAL DATA. 
(a) PLAN REQUIRED.—The Under Secretary of De-
fense for Research and Engineering, in coordination with 
the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer, shall 
develop a plan for the establishment of a secure computing 
and data storage environment to facilitate— 
(1) the testing of artificial intelligence models 
trained on biological data; and 
(2) the development and testing of products 
generated by such models. 
(b) ELEMENTS.—The plan under subsection (a) shall 
provide as follows: 
(1) DESIGNATION.—The secure computing and 
data storage environment described in subsection (a) 
shall be known as the ‘‘AIxBio sandbox’’. 
(2) COMPUTING
AND
DATA
STORAGE
INFRA-
STRUCTURE.—The AIxBio sandbox shall consist of a 
secure computing and data storage infrastructure to 
be used for the testing and development activities 
described in subsection (a). To the extent feasible, 
such infrastructure shall be assembled from the ex-
isting computing and data storage infrastructure or-
ganizations and elements of the Department of De-
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fense with relevant capabilities, such as the Test Re-
source Management Center and the AI Accelerator 
of the Department of the Air Force. 
(3) RESPONSIBLE OFFICIAL.—The Under Sec-
retary of Defense for Research and Engineering 
shall be responsible for— 
(A) managing and overseeing the activities 
of the sandbox; 
(B) coordinating the efforts of the organi-
zations of the Department involved in the ac-
tivities of the sandbox; 
(C) selecting projects for development and 
testing using the sandbox in accordance with 
paragraph (4); and 
(D) arranging partnerships in accordance 
with paragraph (5). 
(4) SELECTION
OF
PROJECTS.—The Under 
Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering 
shall— 
(A) identify projects funded, in whole or in 
part, by the Department of Defense that— 
(i) have demonstrated a proof-of-con-
cept or another similar indicator of early 
success or feasibility; and 
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(ii) involve the development of a 
model, technology, or product at the inter-
section of artificial intelligence and bio-
technology that has potential defense appli-
cations, such as a project using artificial 
intelligence and biological data— 
(I) to direct and produce medical 
countermeasures; 
(II) to predict and produce new 
or enhanced biological materials for 
military purposes; or 
(III) to analyze how biology could 
fulfill different components of the sup-
ply chain, including by improving the 
domestic supply chain through the use 
of biomanufacturing; and 
(B) from projects identified under sub-
paragraph (A), select projects for further devel-
opment and testing using the AIxBio sandbox. 
(5) PARTNERSHIPS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary of 
Defense for Research and Engineering shall es-
tablish mechanisms through which organiza-
tions and entities involved in projects of the 
AIxBio sandbox may work with Department of 
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Defense laboratories and Department-funded 
laboratories of academic institutions to carry 
out activities in support of such projects, in-
cluding biological testing and experimentation 
and testing and experimentation to validate ar-
tificial intelligence models in development. 
(B) STREAMLINED
PROCESSES.—In car-
rying out subparagraph (A), the Under Sec-
retary shall establish a streamlined processes to 
facilitate efficient collaboration between labora-
tories, organizations of the Department of De-
fense, and private entities for purposes of devel-
oping products for national security purposes 
and carrying out activities in support of 
projects under AIxBio sandbox, including test-
ing and experimentation. 
(6) OTHER
ELEMENTS.—The plan shall ad-
dress— 
(A) the manner in which existing com-
puting and data storage infrastructure of the 
Department of Defense shall be made available 
for the AIxBio sandbox in accordance with 
paragraph (2); 
(B) the development of any mechanisms 
needed to facilitate collaboration among individ-
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uals and organizations involved in projects 
under the AIxBio sandbox, including any nec-
essary agreements concerning intellectual prop-
erty, funding, and the transfer of materials or 
other resources; 
(C) the process for selecting projects for 
development and testing using the sandbox in 
accordance with paragraph (4); and 
(D) the process for determining the 
amount of funding needed for projects under 
the sandbox, including the length of time each 
project is expected to receive such funding. 
(c) REPORT AND BRIEFING.—Not later than one year 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Under 
Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering 
shall— 
(1) submit to the Committees on Armed Serv-
ices of the Senate and the House of Representatives 
a report that includes the plan developed under sub-
section (a); and 
(2) provide to the Committees a briefing on the 
plan. 
Æ 
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