Title: National Biosecurity Improvement Act of 2021
Policy area: Health

Summary:
National Biosecurity Improvement Act of 2021
This bill requires the Government Accountability Office to study and report to Congress about policies and past actions of the National Institutes of Health related to enhancing potential pandemic pathogens and similar research that could result in unintended homeland and national security concerns.
Among other matters, the study must address how federal agencies ensure that such research is conducted safely and without compromising national security and the extent to which agencies consider national security information in decisions about whether to fund research in other countries.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3414 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 3414

    To require the Government Accountability Office to evaluate the 
policies and actions of the National Institutes of Health with respect 
 to research involving the enhancement of potential pandemic pathogens 
                        and related activities.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           December 16, 2021

 Mr. Marshall (for himself, Mr. Grassley, Mr. Inhofe, Mrs. Blackburn, 
and Ms. Ernst) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
  referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To require the Government Accountability Office to evaluate the 
policies and actions of the National Institutes of Health with respect 
 to research involving the enhancement of potential pandemic pathogens 
                        and related activities.

    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 Biosecurity Improvement Act 
of 2021''.

SEC. 2. GAO STUDY.

    (a) In General.--The Comptroller General of the United States shall 
conduct a study of the policies and past actions of the National 
Institutes of Health with respect to research involving the enhancement 
of potential pandemic pathogens and related research that could result 
in unintended homeland and national security concerns. Such study shall 
consider--
            (1) how Federal agencies that fund research involving the 
        enhancement of potential pandemic pathogens and related risky 
        research with potentially dangerous pathogens, including the 
        Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of 
        Defense, ensure that such research is conducted safely and 
        securely and without compromising national security;
            (2) efforts to establish a common domestic and 
        international approach to ensuring the safety and security of 
        research involving the enhancement of potential pandemic 
        pathogens and related risky research with potentially dangerous 
        pathogens; and
            (3) the extent that Federal agencies described in paragraph 
        (1) consider national security information when making 
        decisions about Federal funding to support research in other 
        countries.
    (b) Report.--Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit 
to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, the 
Committee on the Judiciary, and the Committee on Armed Services of the 
Senate a report containing the results of the study conducted under 
subsection (a), including policy recommendations.
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