National Laboratory Biotechnology Research Act of 2021
Bill: S.1624 | Sponsor: Sen. Lujan, Ben Ray (D-NM)
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications

Summary:
National Laboratory Biotechnology Research Act of 2021
This bill directs the Department of Energy (DOE) to establish a National Laboratory Biotechnology Program to integrate the resources of DOE, including the Office of Science, the Office of Intelligence and Counterintelligence, and the National Nuclear Security Administration, to provide research and development and response capabilities to respond to
The Office of Science shall support research that harnesses the capabilities of the national laboratories to address advanced biological threats of national security significance.
The Office of Science shall promote cooperative research and development activities under the program, including collaboration between appropriate industry and academic institutions to promote innovation and the creation of knowledge.
No less frequently than biennially, DOE shall develop a strategic research plan under the program.

To direct the Secretary of Energy to establish a National Laboratory 
 Biotechnology Program to address biotechnology threats, and for other 
                               purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``National Laboratory Biotechnology 
Research Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Department.--The term ``Department'' means the 
        Department of Energy.
            (2) National laboratory.--The term ``National Laboratory'' 
        has the meaning given the term in section 2 of the Energy 
        Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 15801).
            (3) NNSA.--The term ``NNSA'' means the National Nuclear 
        Security Administration.
            (4) Office.--The term ``Office'' means the joint program 
        office established under section 3(b).
            (5) Office of intelligence and counterintelligence.--The 
        term ``Office of Intelligence and Counterintelligence'' means 
        the Office of Intelligence and Counterintelligence of the 
        Department.
            (6) Office of science.--The term ``Office of Science'' 
        means the Office of Science of the Department.
            (7) Program.--The term ``Program'' means the National 
        Laboratory Biotechnology Program established under section 
        3(a).
            (8) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Energy.

SEC. 3. NATIONAL LABORATORY BIOTECHNOLOGY PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary shall establish a National 
Laboratory Biotechnology Program to integrate the resources of the 
Department, including the Office of Science, the Office of Intelligence 
and Counterintelligence, and the NNSA, to provide research, 
development, test and evaluation, and response capabilities to respond 
to--
            (1) long-term biotechnology threats facing the United 
        States; and
            (2) any remaining threats posed by COVID-19.
    (b) Joint Program Office.--To carry out the Program, the Secretary 
shall establish a joint program office, which shall comprise 
appropriate leadership from the Office of Science, the NNSA, and the 
National Laboratories.
    (c) Functions.--The Office shall--
            (1) oversee the development and operation of major research 
        activities of the Program;
            (2) periodically review and recommend updates as necessary 
        to Program policies and guidelines for the development and 
        operation of major research activities;
            (3) collaborate with the directors of research directorates 
        of the Department, directors of National Laboratories, and 
        other senior Department officials, as appropriate, to gain 
        greater access to top researchers and new and potentially 
        transformative ideas;
            (4) enable access to broad scientific and technical 
        expertise and resources that will lead to the deployment of 
        innovative products, including through--
                    (A) research and development, including proof of 
                concept, technical development, and compliance testing 
                activities; and
                    (B) early-stage product development, including 
                through--
                            (i) computational modeling and simulation;
                            (ii) molecular structural determination;
                            (iii) genomic sequencing;
                            (iv) epidemiological and logistics support;
                            (v) knowledge discovery infrastructure and 
                        scalable protected data;
                            (vi) advanced manufacturing to address 
                        supply chain bottlenecks;
                            (vii) new capabilities for testing of 
                        clinical and nonclinical samples;
                            (viii) understanding environmental fate and 
                        transport of viruses; and
                            (ix) discovery of potential therapeutics 
                        through computation and molecular structure 
                        determination;
            (5) provide access to user facilities with advanced or 
        unique equipment, services, materials, and other resources to 
        perform research and testing;
            (6) support technology transfer and related activities; and
            (7) promote access and development across the Federal 
        Government and to United States industry, including startup 
        companies, of early applications of the technologies, 
        innovations, and expertise beneficial to the public that are 
        derived from Program activities.
    (d) Biodefense Expertise.--
            (1) In general.--In carrying out the Program, the Office 
        shall support research that harnesses the capabilities of the 
        National Laboratories to address advanced biological threats of 
        national security significance through assessments and research 
        and development programs that--
                    (A) support the near- and long-term biodefense 
                needs of the United States;
                    (B) support the national security community in 
                reducing uncertainty and risk;
                    (C) enable greater access to top researchers and 
                new and potentially transformative ideas for biodefense 
                of human, animal, plant, environment, and 
                infrastructure assets (including physical, cyber, and 
                economic infrastructure); and
                    (D) enable access to broad scientific and technical 
                expertise and resources that will lead to the 
                development and deployment of innovative biodefense 
                assessments and solutions, including through--
                            (i) the accessing, monitoring, and 
                        evaluation of biological threats to reduce 
                        risk, including through analysis and 
                        prioritization of gaps and vulnerabilities 
                        across open-source and classified data;
                            (ii) development of scientific and 
                        technical roadmaps--
                                    (I) to address gaps and 
                                vulnerabilities;
                                    (II) to inform analyses of 
                                technologies; and
                                    (III) to accelerate the application 
                                of unclassified research to classified 
                                applications; and
                            (iii) demonstration activities to enable 
                        deployment, including--
                                    (I) threat signature development 
                                and validation;
                                    (II) automated anomaly detection 
                                using artificial intelligence and 
                                machine learning;
                                    (III) fate and transport dynamics 
                                for priority scenarios;
                                    (IV) data curation, access, 
                                storage, and security at scale; and
                                    (V) risk assessment tools.
            (2) Resources.--The Secretary shall ensure that the Office 
        is provided and uses sufficient resources to carry out 
        paragraph (1).
    (e) Strengthening Institutional Research and Private 
Partnerships.--
            (1) In general.--The Office shall, to the maximum extent 
        practicable, promote cooperative research and development 
        activities under the Program, including collaboration between 
        appropriate industry and academic institutions to promote 
        innovation and knowledge creation.
            (2) Accessibility of information.--The Office shall 
        develop, maintain, and publicize information on scientific user 
        facilities and capabilities supported by laboratories of the 
        Department for combating biotechnology threats, which shall be 
        accessible for use by individuals from academic institutions 
        and industry.
            (3) Academic participation.--The Office shall, to the 
        maximum extent practicable--
                    (A) conduct outreach about internship opportunities 
                relating to activities under the Program primarily to 
                institutions of higher education (as defined in section 
                101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
                1001)) and minority-serving institutions of higher 
                education;
                    (B) encourage the development of research 
                collaborations between research-intensive universities 
                and the institutions described in subparagraph (A); and
                    (C) provide traineeships at the institutions 
                described in subparagraph (A) to graduate students who 
                pursue a masters or doctoral degree in an academic 
                field relevant to research advanced under the Program.
    (f) Evaluation and Plan.--
            (1) In general.--Not less frequently than biennially, the 
        Secretary shall--
                    (A) evaluate the activities carried out under the 
                Program; and
                    (B) develop a strategic research plan under the 
                Program, which shall be made publicly available and 
                submitted to the Committee on Energy and Natural 
                Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and 
                Commerce of the House of Representatives.
            (2) Classified information.--If the strategic research plan 
        developed under paragraph (1)(B) contains classified 
        information, the plan--
                    (A) shall be made publicly available and submitted 
                to the committees of Congress described in paragraph 
                (1)(B) in an unclassified format; and
                    (B) may, as part of the submission to those 
                committees of Congress only, include a classified annex 
                containing any sensitive or classified information, as 
                necessary.
    (g) Interagency Collaboration.--The Office may collaborate with the 
Secretary of Homeland Security, the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services, the Secretary of Defense, and the heads of other appropriate 
Federal departments and agencies to advance biotechnology research and 
development under the Program.
    (h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section, to remain 
available until expended--
            (1) $30,000,000 for fiscal year 2022;
            (2) $40,000,000 for fiscal year 2023;
            (3) $45,000,000 for fiscal year 2024; and
            (4) $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 and 2026.
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