I 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7171 
To provide for a coordinated Federal research program to ensure continued 
United States leadership in engineering biology. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 27, 2018 
Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas (for herself and Mr. SENSEN-
BRENNER) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Science, Space, and Technology 
A BILL 
To provide for a coordinated Federal research program to 
ensure continued United States leadership in engineering 
biology. 
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 ‘‘Engineering Biology 
Research and Development Act of 2019’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
The Congress makes the following findings: 
(1) Cellular and molecular processes may be 
used, mimicked, or redesigned to develop new prod-
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ucts, processes, and systems that improve societal 
well-being, strengthen national security, and con-
tribute to the economy. 
(2) Engineering biology relies on scientists and 
engineers with a diverse and unique set of skills 
combining the biological, physical, and information 
sciences and engineering. 
(3) Long-term research and development is nec-
essary to create breakthroughs in engineering biol-
ogy. Such research and development requires govern-
ment investment as the benefits are too distant or 
uncertain for industry to support alone. 
(4) The Federal Government can play an im-
portant role by facilitating the development of tools 
and technologies to further advance engineering biol-
ogy, including multiple user facilities that the Fed-
eral Government is uniquely able to support. 
(5) Since other countries are investing signifi-
cant resources in engineering biology, the United 
States is at risk of losing its competitive lead in this 
emerging area if it does not invest the necessary re-
sources and have a national strategy. 
(6) A National Engineering Biology Initiative 
can serve to establish new research directions and 
technology goals, improve interagency coordination 
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and planning processes, drive technology transfer, 
and help ensure optimal returns on the Federal in-
vestment. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act— 
(1) the term ‘‘biomanufacturing’’ means the 
manufacturing of products using biological manufac-
turing technologies; 
(2) the term ‘‘engineering biology’’ means the 
science and engineering of cellular and molecular 
processes to advance fundamental understanding of 
complex natural systems, including the microbiome, 
and to develop new and advance existing products, 
processes, and systems that will contribute signifi-
cantly to societal well-being, national security, and 
the economy; 
(3) the term ‘‘Program’’ means the National 
Engineering Biology Research and Development 
Program established under section 4. 
SEC. 4. NATIONAL ENGINEERING BIOLOGY RESEARCH AND 
DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The President, acting through the 
Office of Science and Technology Policy, shall implement 
a National Engineering Biology Research and Develop-
ment Program to advance societal well-being, national se-
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curity, and economic productivity and competitiveness 
through— 
(1) advancing areas of research at the intersec-
tion of the biological, physical, and information 
sciences and engineering, including research on the 
microbiome; 
(2) supporting social science research that ad-
vances the field of engineering biology and contrib-
utes to the adoption of new products, processes, and 
technologies; 
(3) expanding the number of researchers, edu-
cators, and students with engineering biology train-
ing; 
(4) accelerating the translation and commer-
cialization of engineering biology research and devel-
opment by the private sector; and 
(5) improving the interagency planning and co-
ordination of Federal Government activities related 
to engineering biology. 
(b) PROGRAM ACTIVITIES.—The activities of the Pro-
gram shall include— 
(1) sustained support for engineering biology 
research and development through— 
(A) grants to individual investigators and 
interdisciplinary teams of investigators; 
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(B) projects funded under joint solicita-
tions by a collaboration of no fewer than two 
agencies participating in the Program; and 
(C) interdisciplinary research centers that 
are organized to investigate basic research 
questions and carry out technology development 
and demonstration activities; 
(2) education and training of undergraduate 
and graduate students in research at the intersection 
of biological, physical, and information sciences and 
engineering; 
(3) activities to develop robust mechanisms for 
tracking and quantifying the outputs and economic 
benefits of engineering biology; and 
(4) activities to accelerate the translation and 
commercialization of new products, processes, and 
technologies by— 
(A) identifying precompetitive research op-
portunities; 
(B) facilitating public-private partnerships 
in engineering biology research and develop-
ment; 
(C) connecting researchers, graduate stu-
dents, and postdoctoral fellows with entrepre-
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neurship education and training opportunities; 
and 
(D) supporting proof of concept activities 
and the formation of startup companies includ-
ing through programs such as the Small Busi-
ness Innovation Research Program and the 
Small Business Technology Transfer Program. 
(c) EXPANDING PARTICIPATION.—The Program shall 
include, to the maximum extent practicable, outreach to 
primarily undergraduate and minority-serving institutions 
about Program opportunities, and shall encourage the de-
velopment of research collaborations between research-in-
tensive universities and primarily undergraduate and mi-
nority-serving institutions. 
(d) ETHICAL, LEGAL, ENVIRONMENTAL, AND SOCI-
ETAL ISSUES.—Program activities shall take into account 
ethical, legal, environmental, and other appropriate soci-
etal issues, including the need for safeguards and moni-
toring systems to protect society against the unintended 
release of engineered materials produced, by— 
(1) supporting research, including in the social 
sciences, and other activities addressing ethical, 
legal, environmental, and other appropriate societal 
issues related to engineering biology, including inte-
grating research on such topics with the research 
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and development in engineering biology, and ensur-
ing that the results of such research are widely dis-
seminated, including through interdisciplinary engi-
neering biology research centers described in sub-
section (b)(1); and 
(2) ensuring, through the agencies and depart-
ments that participate in the Program, that public 
input and outreach are integrated into the Program 
by the convening of regular and ongoing public dis-
cussions through mechanisms such as citizen panels, 
consensus conferences, and educational events, as 
appropriate. 
(e) INTERAGENCY COMMITTEE.—The President, act-
ing through the Office of Science and Technology Policy, 
shall designate an interagency committee on engineering 
biology, which shall include representatives from the Office 
of Science and Technology Policy, the National Science 
Foundation, the Department of Energy, the National Aer-
onautics and Space Administration, the National Institute 
of Standards and Technology, the Environmental Protec-
tion Agency, and any other agency that the President con-
siders appropriate (in this section referred to as the 
‘‘interagency committee’’). The Director of the Office of 
Science and Technology Policy shall select a chairperson 
from among the members of the Interagency Committee. 
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The Interagency Committee shall oversee the planning, 
management, and coordination of the Program. The Inter-
agency Committee shall— 
(1) provide for interagency coordination of Fed-
eral engineering biology research, development, and 
other activities undertaken pursuant to the Pro-
gram; 
(2) establish and periodically update goals and 
priorities for the Program; 
(3) develop, not later than 12 months after the 
date of enactment of this Act, and update every 5 
years, a strategic plan that— 
(A) guides the activities of the Program 
for purposes of meeting the goals and priorities 
established under (and updated pursuant to) 
paragraph (2); and 
(B) describes— 
(i) the Program’s support for long- 
term funding for interdisciplinary engineer-
ing biology research and development; 
(ii) the Program’s support for edu-
cation and public outreach activities; 
(iii) the Program’s support for re-
search and other activities on ethical, legal, 
environmental, and other appropriate soci-
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etal issues related to engineering biology; 
and 
(iv) how the Program will move re-
sults out of the laboratory and into appli-
cation for the benefit of society and United 
States competitiveness; 
(4) propose an annually coordinated interagency 
budget for the Program that is intended to ensure— 
(A) the maintenance of a robust engineer-
ing biology research and development portfolio; 
and 
(B) that the balance of funding across the 
Program is sufficient to meet the goals and pri-
orities established for the Program; 
(5) develop a plan to utilize Federal programs, 
such as the Small Business Innovation Research 
Program and the Small Business Technology Trans-
fer Program, in support of the activities described in 
subsection (b)(4); and 
(6) in carrying out this section, take into con-
sideration the recommendations of the advisory com-
mittee established under section 5, the results of the 
workshop convened under section 6, existing reports 
on related topics, and the views of academic, State, 
industry, and other appropriate groups. 
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(f) ANNUAL REPORT.—The interagency committee 
established under subsection (e) shall prepare an annual 
report, to be submitted to the Committee on Science, 
Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives 
and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transpor-
tation of the Senate not later than 90 days after submis-
sion of the President’s annual budget request, that in-
cludes— 
(1) the Program budget for the fiscal year to 
which such budget request applies, and for the then 
current fiscal year, including a breakout of spending 
for each agency participating in the Program, and 
for the development and acquisition of any research 
facilities and instrumentation; and 
(2) an assessment of how Federal agencies are 
implementing the plan described in subsection 
(e)(5), and a description of the amount and number 
of Small Business Innovation Research and Small 
Business Technology Transfer awards made in sup-
port of the Program. 
SEC. 5. ADVISORY COMMITTEE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The President, acting through the 
Office of Science and Technology Policy, shall designate 
or establish an advisory committee on engineering biology 
research and development (in this section referred to as 
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the ‘‘advisory committee’’) to be composed of not fewer 
than 12 members, including representatives of research 
and academic institutions, industry, and nongovernmental 
entities, who are qualified to provide advice on the Pro-
gram. 
(b) ASSESSMENT.—The advisory committee shall as-
sess— 
(1) progress made in implementing the Pro-
gram; 
(2) the need to revise the Program; 
(3) the balance of activities and funding across 
the Program; 
(4) whether the Program priorities and goals 
developed by the Interagency Committee are helping 
to maintain United States leadership in engineering 
biology; 
(5) the management, coordination, implementa-
tion, and activities of the Program; and 
(6) whether ethical, legal, environmental, and 
other appropriate societal issues are adequately ad-
dressed by the Program. 
(c) REPORTS.—Beginning not later than 3 years 
after the date of enactment of this Act, and not less fre-
quently than once every 5 years thereafter, the advisory 
committee shall submit to the President, the Committee 
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on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Rep-
resentatives, and the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
and Transportation of the Senate, a report on— 
(1) the findings of the advisory committee’s as-
sessment under subsection (b); and 
(2) the advisory committee’s recommendations 
for ways to improve the Program. 
(d) APPLICATION
OF FEDERAL ADVISORY COM-
MITTEE ACT.—Section 14 of the Federal Advisory Com-
mittee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the Advisory 
Committee. 
SEC. 6. EXTERNAL REVIEW OF ETHICAL, LEGAL, ENVIRON-
MENTAL, AND SOCIETAL ISSUES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 12 months after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Director of the Na-
tional Science Foundation shall enter into an agreement 
with the National Academies to convene a workshop to 
review the ethical, legal, environmental, and other appro-
priate societal issues related to engineering biology re-
search and development. The goals of the workshop shall 
be to— 
(1) assess the current research on such issues; 
(2) evaluate the research gaps relating to such 
issues; and 
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(3) provide recommendations on how the Pro-
gram can address the research needs identified. 
(b) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 2 years 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director of 
the National Science Foundation shall transmit to the 
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the 
House of Representatives and the Committee on Com-
merce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a sum-
mary report containing the findings of the workshop con-
vened under this section. 
SEC. 7. AGENCY ACTIVITIES. 
(a) NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION.—As part of 
the Program, the National Science Foundation shall— 
(1) support basic research at the intersection of 
the biological, physical, and information sciences and 
engineering, including research on the microbiome, 
through individual grants and through interdiscipli-
nary research centers; 
(2) support research on the environmental and 
social effects of engineering biology; 
(3) provide research instrumentation support 
for engineering biology disciplines; and 
(4) award grants, on a competitive basis, to en-
able institutions to support graduate students and 
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postdoctoral fellows who perform some of their engi-
neering biology research in an industry setting. 
(b) DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE.—As part of the 
Program, the Director of the National Institute of Stand-
ards and Technology shall— 
(1) establish a bioscience research program to 
advance the development of standard reference ma-
terials and measurements and to create new data 
tools, techniques, and processes necessary to advance 
engineering biology and biomanufacturing; 
(2) provide access to user facilities with ad-
vanced or unique equipment, services, materials, and 
other resources to industry, institutions of higher 
education, nonprofit organizations, and government 
agencies to perform research and testing; and 
(3) provide technical expertise to inform the de-
velopment of guidelines and safeguards for new 
products, processes, and systems of engineering biol-
ogy. 
(c) DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY.—As part of the Pro-
gram, the Secretary of Energy shall— 
(1) conduct and support basic research, devel-
opment, demonstration, and commercial application 
activities in engineering biology disciplines, including 
in the areas of synthetic biology, advanced biofuel 
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development, biobased materials, and environmental 
remediation; and 
(2) provide access to user facilities with ad-
vanced or unique equipment, services, materials, and 
other resources, as appropriate, to industry, institu-
tions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, 
and government agencies to perform research and 
testing. 
(d) NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINIS-
TRATION.—As part of the Program, the National Aero-
nautics and Space Administration shall— 
(1) conduct and support basic and applied re-
search in engineering biology fields, including in the 
field of synthetic biology, the microbiome, and re-
lated to Earth and space sciences, aeronautics, space 
technology, and space exploration and experimen-
tation, consistent with the priorities established in 
the National Academies’ decadal surveys; and 
(2) award grants, on a competitive basis, that 
enable institutions to support graduate students and 
postdoctoral fellows who perform some of their engi-
neering biology research in an industry setting. 
(e) ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION
AGENCY.—As 
part of the Program, the Environmental Protection Agen-
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cy shall support research on how products, processes, and 
systems of engineering biology will affect the environment. 
Æ 
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