WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Todd Young (R-Ind.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), and Andy Kim (D-N.J.) introduced the Web of Biological Data Act, legislation to create a comprehensive, nationalbiological database accessible to American researchers and innovators. Representatives Matt Van Epps (R-Tenn.) and Jake Auchincloss (D-Mass.) introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives.
In its April 2025 report, the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology (NSCEB), which Senator Young chairs, concluded that the U.S. must start treating biological data as a strategic national resource in order to retain, and in some cases regain, global biotech leadership. The United States does not take a coordinated approach to managing biological data. By contrast, China’s approach to biological data involves accessing and exploiting publicly available data from around the world, while harvesting its own isolated, domestic datasets.
The Web of Biological Data Act helps accomplish this goal by directing the Secretary of Energy to establish the Web of Biological Data (WOBD), a single point of entry for U.S. researchers to securely access high-quality, AI-ready biological datasets from different sources. This reflects a key recommendation from the NSCEB’s April 2025 Action Plan and report.
“High-quality, AI-ready biological data will be the foundation of future American biotechnology innovation. This bill would unleash researchers to focus on innovation while preserving existing privacy protections, and it would secure U.S. biological data from exploitation by the Chinese Communist Party. This data is a strategic national resource that will prime the best and brightest in American biotechnology to launch U.S. innovation into the age of AI,” said Senator Young.
“As scientific developments accelerate AI capabilities, we must prioritize establishing a centralized and secure biological data infrastructure to ensure safe access to data that will drive innovation,” said Senator Padilla. “The Web of Biological Data Act will create a single, trusted point of entry for researchers to access high-quality data to better facilitate research, while protecting sensitive biological data.”
“Federal biological data could ultimately be the key to unlocking the next generation of medical and scientific breakthroughs. By implementing a streamlined system with crucial privacy protections, this bill would accelerate AI-driven discoveries in biotechnology and bring us closer and closer to treatments, cures, and other life-changing innovations,” said Senator Kim.
“AI is changing how we work, and biotechnology is changing how we research and innovate. At the center of this convergence is high-quality biological data. Right now, we lack a standardized resource which limits the usability of existing biological datasets and forces researchers to spend more time on data input and curation than innovation. The Web of Biological Data Act will correct that, freeing up scientists to innovate and keeping the United States at the forward edge of discovery,” said Rep. Van Epps.
“Discoveries in diseases like Schizophrenia & Alzheimer’s have been slower than other ailments, in part due to the immense complexity of overlaying genomic, biologic and neurologic vectors. More & better data can empower researchers to explore the etiology of these diseases at the intersection of disciplines,” said Rep. Auchincloss.
If enacted, the Web of Biological Data Actwould require:
- A selected DOE national lab to execute the WOBD, starting with an initial pilot focused on a preliminary set of specific biological data subtypes, cybersecurity safeguards, and research and development (R&D) projects to improve the science of biological data management and curation within two years.
- The selected national lab would expand the WOBD to a fully realized single point-of-access for biological data with interoperability frameworks, quality standards, user-friendly interfaces, and mature cybersecurity requirements within five years.
The legislation is supported by Indiana University, the Foundation for American Innovation, the Institute for Progress, American Type Culture Collection, Transfyr, Innovative Genomics Institute at UC Berkley, FutureHouse, Texas Medical Center, Pittsburgh Life Sciences Alliance, Astera Institute, BioNJ, American Alliance of Biomanufacturing, and the Science and Technology Action Committee.