,,ii #aaith ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #achg ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,april #i1 #bjbe,mr4 ,young 7for himself and ,mr4 ,padilla7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions ,a ,,bill ,to authorize the ,national ,biotechnology ,initiative1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,national ,biotechnology ,initiative ,act of #bjbe4 #b4 ,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7 ,bioliteracy ,the term bioliteracy refers to the concept of imbuing people1 personnel1 or teams with an understanding of and ability to engage with biology and biotechnology4 7#b7 ,biological data ,the term biological data means the information1 including associated descriptors1 derived from the structure1 function1 or process of a biological system7s7 that is either measured1 collected1 or aggregated for analysis4 7#c7 ,biomanufacturing ,the term biomanufacturing means the application of biotechnology to manufacturing4 7#d7 ,biotechnology ,the term biotechnology means the application of science and engineering in the direct or indirect use of living organisms1 or parts or products of living organisms1 including modified forms4 7#e7 ,director of the ,national ,biotechnology ,coordination ,office ,the term ,director of the ,national ,biotechnology ,coordination ,office means the individual appointed pursuant to section #d7;b77#b77;,a74 7#f7 ,initiative ,the term ,initiative means the ,national ,biotechnology ,initiative established under section #c4 7#g7 ,interagency ,committee ,the term ,interagency ,committee means the interagency committee designated pursuant to section #ajdjc7;a77#a74 7#h7 ,office ,the term ,office means the ,national ,biotechnology ,coordination ,office established under section #d7;b74 7#i7 ,participating agency ,the term participating agency means a department1 office1 or agency set forth under section #c7;b74 #c4 ,authorization of the ,national ,biotechnology ,initiative 7a7 ,initiative required 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,president1 acting through the ,executive ,office of the ,president1 shall implement an initiative to advance national security1 economic productivity1 and competitiveness through advancement and coordination of ,federal activities relating to biotechnology4 7#b7 ,designation ,the initiative implemented pursuant to paragraph 7#a7 shall be known as the ,national ,biotechnology ,initiative4 7b7 ,participating agencies ,the following shall be participants in the ,initiative3 7#a7 ,the ,department of ,agriculture4 7#b7 ,the ,department of ,commerce4 7#c7 ,the ,department of ,defense4 7#d7 ,the ,department of ,energy4 7#e7 ,the ,department of ,health and ,human ,services4 7#f7 ,the ,department of ,homeland ,security4 7#g7 ,the ,department of the ,interior4 7#h7 ,the ,department of ,state4 7#i7 ,the ,environmental ,protection ,agency4 7#aj7 ,the ,national ,aeronautics and ,space ,administration4 7#aa7 ,the ,national ,science ,foundation4 7#ab7 ,the ,office of the ,director of ,national ,intelligence4 7#ac7 ,the ,office of the ,united ,states ,trade ,representative4 7#ad7 ,such other ,federal departments and agencies as the ,director of the ,national ,biotechnology ,coordination ,office considers appropriate4 7c7 ,activities ,each head of a participating agency shall carry out the ,initiative1 including by carrying out the activities required by section #f and by addressing and coordinating the following3 7#a7 ,federal activities relating to biotechnology1 including to create and maintain a national strategy on biotechnology4 7#b7 ,national security implications of emerging biotechnology4 7#c7 ,sustained support for research and development that accelerates scientific understanding and technological innovation in biotechnology4 7#d7 ,sustained support for biological data1 databases1 and related tools as a strategic national resource4 7#e7 ,private sector translation and commercialization of products that are produced with biotechnology4 7#f7 ,regulatory streamlining for products that are produced with biotechnology4 7#g7 ,biosafety and biosecurity issues associated with emerging biotechnology4 7#h7 ,development of a domestic workforce1 including the ,federal workforce1 to advance biotechnology across the ,united ,states4 7#i7 ,bioliteracy activities that provide clear1 easy-to-find information for policymakers1 innovators1 and the public4 7#aj7 ,international partnerships1 including regulatory and commercial diplomacy4 7#aa7 ,such other activities relating to biotechnology as the ,director of the ,national ,biotechnology ,coordination ,office and the ,interagency ,committee jointly determine are needed to advance national security1 economic productivity1 and competitiveness relating to biotechnology4 #d4 ,initiative coordination 7a7 ,interagency committee 7#a7 ,designation ,not later than #ahj days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,president shall1 acting through the ,executive ,office of the ,president1 designate an interagency committee to coordinate activities of the ,initiative4 7#b7 ,duties ,each member of the ,interagency ,committee shall-- 7,a7 work with the ,director of the ,national ,biotechnology ,coordination ,office to oversee the planning1 management1 and coordination of the ,initiative2 7,b7 ensure the department or agency of the member supports the ,initiative through relevant activities set forth under section #f2 7,c7 keep the other members of the ,interagency ,committee apprised of the activities described in subparagraph 7,b72 and 7,d7 communicate activities of the ,interagency ,committee with relevant components of the ,department or agency of the member4 7#c7 ,membership ,the ,interagency ,committee shall include #a member at the ,assistant ,secretary level from each participating agency selected by the head of the participating agency4 7#d7 ,co-chairpersons 7,a7 ,in general ,the ,interagency ,committee shall have #c co-chairpersons1 of whom-- 7i7 one co-chairperson shall be the ,director of the ,national ,biotechnology ,coordination ,office2 and 7ii7 two co-chairpersons shall be selected by the members of the ,interagency ,committee from among the members of the ,interagency ,committee4 7,b7 ,terms ,each co-chairperson selected pursuant to subparagraph 7,a77ii7 shall serve a term of #b years1 except for the first term the ,interagency ,committee shall select one co-chairperson to serve a term of #c years1 such that subsequent terms are staggered4 7,c7 ,vacancies 7i7 ,in general ,a vacancy under this paragraph shall be filled in the manner in which the original appointment was made and shall be subject to any conditions that applied with respect to the original appointment4 7ii7 ,filling unexpired term ,an individual chosen to fill a vacancy shall be appointed for the unexpired term of the co-chairperson replaced4 7,d7 ,quorum ,a majority of the members of the ,interagency ,committee shall constitute a quorum for the purposes of voting for co-chairpersons under clauses 7i77,,ii7 and 7ii77,,ii7 of subparagraph 7,a71 with co-chairpersons selected by the member who receives the highest plurality of votes4 7,e7 ,limitation ,a member of the ,interagency ,committee from a particular ,federal department or agency may not serve consecutive terms as co-chairperson of the ,interagency ,committee4 7b7 ,national ,biotechnology ,coordination ,office 7#a7 ,establishment of ,national ,biotechnology ,coordination ,office 7,a7 ,in general ,not later than #ahj days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,president shall establish an office in the ,executive ,office of the ,president to support the ,initiative4 7,b7 ,designation ,the office established pursuant to subparagraph 7,a7 shall be known as the ,national ,biotechnology ,coordination ,office4 7#b7 ,director of ,national ,biotechnology ,coordination ,office 7,a7 ,appointment ,not later than #ahj days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,president shall appoint an individual to serve as the ,director of the ,national ,biotechnology ,coordination ,office4 7,b7 ,duties ,the duties of the ,director of the ,national ,biotechnology ,coordination ,office are as follows3 7i7 ,to serve as the principal advisor to the ,president for biotechnology4 7ii7 ,to administer the functions of the ,office set forth under paragraph 7#c74 7,c7 ,authorities ,in support of the ,initiative1 the ,director may-- 7i7 advise the ,director of the ,office of ,management and ,budget for the purposes of tracking and adjusting agency spending relating to biotechnology1 including to ensure that ,federal efforts are complementary and not duplicative2 7ii7 convene members of the ,interagency ,committee in order to advance and coordinate ,federal activities relating to biotechnology2 7iii7 coordinate ,federal regulation of products that are produced with biotechnology2 7iv7 select1 appoint1 employ1 and fix the compensation of such officers and employees as are necessary and prescribe their duties2 7v7 enter into and perform such contracts1 leases1 cooperative agreements1 or other transactions1 as appropriate1 to the conduct of the work of the ,office2 7vi7 utilize1 with their consent1 the services1 personnel1 and facilities of other ,federal agencies2 and 7vii7 accept voluntary and uncompensated services1 notwithstanding the provisions of section #acdb of title #ca1 ,united ,states ,code4 7#c7 ,functions of the ,office ,the functions of the ,office shall be1 in support of the ,initiative1 the following3 7,a7 ,planning and coordination ,functions relating to planning and coordination as follows3 7i7 ,working with the ,interagency ,committee to oversee the planning1 management1 and coordination of ,federal activities relating to biotechnology4 7ii7 ,providing technical and administrative support to the ,interagency ,committee4 7iii7 ,assessing the landscape and gaps associated with the different components of the ,initiative4 7iv7 ,coordinating a fellowship program in which ,federal employees are detailed to #a or more ,federal agencies to gain greater understanding of biotechnology activities outside of their home agency4 7v7 ,building and maintaining a coordinated website for ,federal activities relating to biotechnology pursuant to subsection 7c74 7vi7 ,coordinating development of an annual report under subsection 7d7 and a national strategy as required by subsection 7e74 7vii7 ,conducting such other activities to support the ,initiative as the ,director considers appropriate4 7,b7 ,national security ,functions relating to national security as follows3 7i7 ,assessing and addressing the national security and economic security implications of emerging biotechnology4 7ii7 ,identifying and remedying any major needs or information gaps in current national security assessments and activities1 including to conduct counterintelligence efforts to fill gaps relating to biotechnology4 7iii7 ,providing coordination in addressing foreign investments and acquisition from adversarial countries4 7,c7 ,research and development ,functions relating to research and development as follows3 7i7 ,coordinating sustained support for research and development that accelerates scientific understanding and technological innovation in biotechnology4 7ii7 ,facilitating joint agency solicitations for funding for individual grants1 collaborative grants1 and interdisciplinary research centers4 7iii7 ,developing and proposing focus areas or challenges for research funding meant to advance biotechnology1 particularly relating to convergence with other technologies such as artificial intelligence4 7iv7 ,developing1 standardizing1 and deploying robust mechanisms for documenting and quantifying the outputs and economic benefits of biotechnology4 7,d7 ,data and databases ,functions relating to data and databases as follows3 7i7 ,coordinating sustained support for biological data1 databases1 and related tools as a strategic national resource to advance human health and the understanding of animals1 plants1 microbes1 and other organisms4 7ii7 ,recommending actions to integrate security into biological data access and international reciprocity agreements4 7iii7 ,coordinating frameworks for biological data standardization to create datasets that are interoperable and usable by advanced computation methods such as artificial intelligence4 7,e7 ,product commercialization ,functions relating to product commercialization as follows3 7i7 ,strategizing and coordinating on private sector translation and commercialization of products that are produced with biotechnology4 7ii7 ,assisting in coordinating a national network of testbeds to enable scale-up of biotechnology research4 7,f7 ,regulatory streamlining ,functions relating to regulatory streamlining as follows3 7i7 ,coordinating the easing of regulatory burden for types of biotechnology products that have become well-understood by regulators1 including products that could have occurred naturally or been developed with conventional means4 7ii7 ,negotiating interagency agreements that describe clear regulatory pathways for each type of biotechnology product1 with information about timelines1 decision points1 expected data requirements1 clear hand-offs between agencies1 and other information deemed necessary by the ,office to resolve regulatory gaps1 overlaps1 and ambiguities for biotechnology products4 7iii7 ,providing regular status updates to the ,office of ,management and ,budget as to the development of clear regulatory pathways1 and in the event that the ,office and the ,interagency ,committee cannot reach timely agreement on a clear regulatory pathway for any product type1 assisting the ,director of the ,office of ,management and ,budget in carrying out paragraph 7#e74 7iv7 ,not later than #a year after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 jointly with the ,interagency ,committee developing and making available to the public a plan for regulatory streamlining4 7,g7 ,biosafety and biosecurity ,functions relating to biosafety and biosecurity as follows3 7i7 ,developing strategies and coordinating to address biosafety and biosecurity issues associated with emerging biotechnology4 7ii7 ,coordinating on assessment and mitigation of potential biosafety and biosecurity threats relating to biotechnology research1 including through collaboration with regulatory agencies and industry4 7,h7 ,workforce development ,functions relating to workforce development as follows3 7i7 ,coordinating and developing strategies to develop a domestic workforce for biotechnology4 7ii7 ,coordinating with appropriate agencies to establish a national biotechnology workforce framework to define biotechnology jobs and skills in public and private sectors4 7iii7 ,coordinating with appropriate agencies to conduct an interagency assessment of biotechnology workforce needs1 and subsequently developing and providing training programs4 7,i7 ,bioliteracy ,functions relating to bioliteracy as follows3 7i7 ,coordinating development of plain-language materials about biotechnology4 7ii7 ,providing central locations1 including the website required by subsection 7c71 for clear1 easy-to-find information about biotechnology for policymakers1 innovators1 and the public4 7,j7 ,international partnerships ,functions relating to international partnerships as follows3 7i7 ,coordinating ,federal regulatory and commercial diplomacy activities4 7ii7 ,assessing the current regulatory and commercial diplomacy activities carried out across the ,federal ,government1 identifying gaps1 and developing an outreach strategy to improve the regulatory landscape and market access for products of the ,united ,states4 7iii7 ,identifying non-regulatory solutions for trade and market access concerns 7such as the use of identity preservation for certain agricultural biotechnology products7 and working with relevant government agencies and stakeholders to implement solutions4 7,k7 ,other ,such other activities as the ,director considers necessary to advance national security1 economic productivity1 and competitiveness related to biotechnology4 7#d7 ,administrative support and authorization of appropriations 7,a7 ,administrative support ,the ,director of the ,national ,science ,foundation shall provide support for the administration and implementation of the ,initiative1 including-- 7i7 appointing and providing compensation for employees of the ,office1 without regard to any provision relating to appointment or compensation under title #e1 ,united ,states ,code1 including-- 7,i7 deputy directors as needed to address the responsibilities in paragraph 7#c71 as determined necessary by the ,director of the ,office2 and 7,,ii7 other appropriate employees1 including experts in the science of biotechnology1 biotechnology policy1 regulatory policy1 and science communication1 legal counsel1 and software designers and developers1 as determined necessary by the ,director of the ,office2 7ii7 fixing the compensation of employees of the ,office in an amount that does not exceed the amount of annual compensation 7excluding expenses7 specified in section #ajb of title #c1 ,united ,states ,code2 7iii7 detailing employees of the ,national ,science ,foundation to the ,office and receiving the detail of employees from other agencies to the ,office2 and 7iv7 assistance with other costs associated with running the ,initiative1 including physical space1 other staff1 and overhead support4 7,b7 ,authorization of appropriations ,there are authorized to be appropriated to the ,director of the ,national ,science ,foundation to carry out subparagraph 7,a7-- 7i7 #bb1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #bjbf2 7ii7 #ce1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #bjbg2 7iii7 #be1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #bjbh2 7iv7 #be1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #bjbi2 and 7v7 #be1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #bjcj4 7#e7 ,regulatory streamlining by ,office of ,management and ,budget ,in the event that the ,office and the ,interagency ,committee cannot reach timely agreement on a clear regulatory pathway for a product type1 as described in paragraph 7#c77;,f77iii71 the ,director of the ,office of ,management and ,budget shall-- 7,a7 identify overlaps1 gaps1 or ambiguities in the regulation for such product type2 7,b7 negotiate an interagency agreement that describes a clear regulatory pathway for such product type1 with information about timelines1 decision points1 expected data requirements1 clear hand-offs between agencies1 and other information deemed necessary by the ,office of ,management and ,budget to resolve regulatory gaps1 overlaps1 and ambiguities2 and 7,c7 recommend and oversee rulemaking or changes to guidance as needed to implement clear regulatory pathways4 7#f7 ,wind-down 7,a7 ,in general ,the ,office shall wind-down its activities on the date that is #bj years after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 and transition to serving as an executive secretariat for the ,initiative4 7,b7 ,wind-down activities ,the activities specified in this clause are as follows3 7i7 ,the transfer of authorities1 requirements1 resources1 personnel1 and obligations of the ,office to the fullest extent possible to the ,interagency ,committee and such elements of the ,federal ,government as the ,director and the ,interagency ,committee consider appropriate4 7ii7 ,the ,office shall maintain authorities1 requirements1 resources1 personnel1 and obligations necessary to serve as the executive secretariat for the ,initiative1 including to continue the coordination in subsection 7b77#c77;,a71 the website in subsection 7c71 and any other activities that the ,director and the ,interagency ,committee consider appropriate4 7,c7 ,treatment of transferred functions ,commencing on the date on which the ,office is terminated under subparagraph 7,a71 any reference to a requirement or an authority of the ,office that has been transferred to the ,interagency ,committee or an element of the ,federal ,government shall be treated as a reference to the ,interagency ,committee or the element of the ,federal ,government to which such requirement or authority was transferred pursuant to subparagraph 7,b74 7c7 ,website 7#a7 ,in general ,not later than #edj days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,director of the ,national ,biotechnology ,coordination ,office and the ,interagency ,committee shall jointly develop and publish for the public a single1 coordinated ,federal website for biotechnology that adheres to best practices for website design1 development1 and maintenance4 7#b7 ,contents ,the website developed and published pursuant to paragraph 7#a7 shall include the following3 7,a7 ,a dashboard of ,federal ,government activities relating to biotechnology1 including information about open funding opportunities4 7,b7 ,plain-language information about biotechnology1 including information for policymakers1 innovators1 trading partners1 and the public4 7,c7 ,a mechanism for stakeholders to ask a question and receive a single1 coordinated response4 7,d7 ,mechanisms1 which may be populated over time1 to provide consolidated information about biotechnology product regulation1 focusing on products that are regulated by more than #a ,federal agency1 with content that includes the following3 7i7 ,a repository of interagency agreements that describe clear regulatory pathways1 with links to relevant regulations and guidance documents for each type of biotechnology product4 7ii7 ,a repository of regulatory decision documents for biotechnology products4 7iii7 ,a digital portal that allows submission of a single application and information sharing between ,federal agencies4 7#c7 ,updates ,the ,director and the ,interagency ,committee shall jointly update the website required by paragraph 7#a7 periodically4 7d7 ,annual reports 7#a7 ,in general ,not later than #a year after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 and not less frequently than once each year thereafter1 except in years in which a national strategy for biotechnology is required under subsection 7e71 the ,director of ,national ,biotechnology ,coordination ,office and the ,interagency ,committee shall jointly submit to the ,committee on ,commerce1 ,science1 and ,transportation of the ,senate and the ,committee on ,science1 ,space1 and ,technology of the ,house of ,representatives an annual report on the ,initiative4 7#b7 ,contents ,each annual report submitted pursuant to paragraph 7#a7 shall include1 for the period covered by the report1 the following3 7,a7 ,an inventory and accounting of ,federal ,government activities and spending in support of the ,initiative4 7,b7 ,actions that the ,director and the ,interagency ,committee plan to take in support of the ,initiative in the next fiscal year4 7e7 ,national strategy 7#a7 ,in general ,not later than #b years after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 and not less frequently than once every #e years thereafter1 the ,director of ,national ,biotechnology ,coordination ,office and the ,interagency ,committee shall jointly make available to the public and submit to the ,committee on ,commerce1 ,science1 and ,transportation of the ,senate and the ,committee on ,science1 ,space1 and ,technology of the ,house of ,representatives a comprehensive national strategy for biotechnology4 7#b7 ,elements ,each national strategy made available and submitted pursuant to paragraph 7#a7 shall cover the following3 7,a7 ,actions1 goals1 and priorities to advance the ,initiative1 including how each ,federal department and agency will address the requirements of section #f and how each ,federal department and agency will integrate biotechnology into their own strategies4 7,b7 ,activities that are an urgent priority to advance biotechnology in the ,united ,states but not currently being conducted by ,federal agencies1 with an estimated #e-year budget for those activities4 7,c7 ,recommendations for legislative or administrative action to advance biotechnology in the ,united ,states4 7,d7 ,an inventory of all ,federal ,government databases with biological data with an assessment that identifies opportunities-- 7i7 to improve the utility of such databases1 in a manner that does not compromise national security or the privacy and security of information within such databases2 and 7ii7 to inform investment in such databases as critical infrastructure for the biotechnology research enterprise4 7,e7 ,an assessment of ,united ,states competitiveness in biotechnology relative to peer countries1 including-- 7i7 contributions of biotechnology to ,united ,states economic growth and other societal indicators2 7ii7 contributions of biotechnology to economic growth in other countries1 especially peer-competitors2 and 7iii7 current barriers to commercialization of biotechnology products1 processes1 and tools in the ,united ,states4 7,f7 ,a national biological data strategy to ensure biotechnology research fully leverages plant1 animal1 and microbe biodiversity1 as appropriate and in a manner that does not compromise economic competitiveness1 national security1 or the privacy or security of human genetic information4 7,g7 ,the information that is required as a part of the annual report required by subsection 7d74 7f7 ,comptroller ,general review ,the ,comptroller ,general of the ,united ,states shall-- 7#a7 not later than #c years after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 begin a review to assess the efficacy of interagency coordination and fulfillment of the activities conducted by the ,office and the ,interagency ,committee under the ,initiative2 7#b7 not later than #c4e years after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 provide ,congress a briefing on the initial findings of the ,comptroller ,general with respect to the activities described in paragraph 7#a72 7#c7 not later than #d years after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 submit to the ,committee on ,commerce1 ,science1 and ,transportation of the ,senate and the ,committee on ,science1 ,space1 and ,technology of the ,house of ,representatives a report with recommendations to improve the ,initiative2 and 7#d7 repeat the process outlined in paragraphs 7#a71 7#b71 and 7#c7 every #e years thereafter until the date that is #bj years after the date of the enactment of this ,act4 #e4 ,convening of experts on biotechnology research and development 7a7 ,in general ,the ,director of the ,national ,biotechnology ,coordination ,office may1 in consultation with the ,interagency ,committee1 convene experts to assess and inform the activities of the ,initiative in a time and manner as deemed appropriate and necessary by the ,director4 7b7 ,application of ,federal ,advisory ,committee ,act ,section #ajac of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code1 shall not apply to the convening of experts under this section4 #f4 ,agency activities ,each head of a participating agency shall1 in support of the ,initiative and in coordination with the ,office1 conduct or support1 in a manner consistent with the duties and mission of the respective department or agency1 the following activities to advance biotechnology across defense1 human health1 food and agriculture1 energy1 space1 mining1 environmental stewardship1 and other sectors3 7#a7 ,planning and coordination ,activities relating to planning and coordination as follows3 7,a7 ,designating an individual within the respective department or agency at the level of ,assistant ,secretary to lead the biotechnology activities for the department or agency1 if such person is not already designated1 and to serve as the department or agency liaison to the ,initiative and member of the ,interagency ,committee4 7,b7 ,designating individuals within the respective department or agency to serve as members of subcommittees that may be established by the ,interagency ,committee4 7,c7 ,coordinating activities of the participating agency that relate to biotechnology with the ,office4 7,d7 ,implementing applicable portions of the national strategy required by section #d7;e7 in ways that improve government efficiency and reduce redundancy4 7,e7 ,providing insight and information about biotechnology to the heads of other ,federal departments and agencies and to ,congress4 7,f7 ,leveraging horizon scanning and technology foresight to ensure ,united ,states leadership in future biotechnology advancements4 7#b7 ,national security ,activities relating to national security as follows3 7,a7 ,analyzing ongoing and emerging threats from foreign adversary development and application of biotechnology1 including foreign investments and acquisition of ,united ,states capabilities1 technologies1 and biological data4 7,b7 ,providing expertise to address foreign investments and acquisition from adversarial countries4 7,c7 ,analyzing and identifying actions to mitigate supply chain risks posed by foreign adversary involvement in such supply chains4 7,d7 ,coordinating and ensuring information sharing with foreign service officers regarding threats to and opportunities for biotechnology4 7,e7 ,coordinating with industry on threat information sharing1 vulnerability disclosure1 and risk mitigation for cybersecurity and infrastructure risks1 including risks to biological data and related physical and digital infrastructure and devices4 7,f7 ,improving cybersecurity and stress-testing related to sensitive biological data and to biotechnology infrastructure1 tools1 and instrumentation4 7#c7 ,research and development ,activities relating to research and development as follows3 7,a7 ,providing sustained support for research and development that accelerates scientific understanding and technological innovation in biotechnology4 7,b7 ,conducting joint agency solicitation and selection of applications for funding of individual grants1 collaborative grants1 and interdisciplinary research centers4 7,c7 ,developing instrumentation1 equipment1 and infrastructure for biotechnology1 including to optimize1 standardize1 scale1 and deliver new products and solutions4 7,d7 ,developing standard reference materials and measurements to promote interoperability between new component technologies and processes for biotechnology discovery1 innovation1 and production processes4 7,e7 ,increasing understanding of the risks and benefits of biotechnology1 including how products developed with biotechnology can affect or protect the environment4 7,f7 ,increasing understanding of the ethical1 legal1 and social implications of biotechnology1 including research that contributes to public understanding of biotechnology4 7#d7 ,data and databases ,activities relating to data and databases as follows3 7,a7 ,providing sustained support for biological data1 databases1 and related tools to advance human health and the understanding of animals1 plants1 microbes1 and other organisms4 7,b7 ,establishing1 curating1 and maintaining genomics1 epigenomics1 and other relevant omics and biological data and databases1 such as through a centralized biological data access hub with appropriate protections for the privacy or security of information within such databases4 7,c7 ,developing standards for biological data and databases1 including for curation1 interoperability1 and protection of privacy and security4 7,d7 ,developing computational tools1 including artificial intelligence tools1 to accelerate research and innovation using biological data and databases4 7,e7 ,developing tools that use omics and associated bioinformatic sciences to improve monitoring1 management1 assessments1 and forecasts4 7#e7 ,product commercialization ,activities relating to product commercialization as follows3 7,a7 ,providing sustained support for private sector translation and commercialization of products that are produced with biotechnology1 including biomanufacturing4 7,b7 ,utilizing existing ,federal programs1 such as the ,small ,business ,innovation ,research ,program and the ,small ,business ,technology ,transfer ,program 7as described in section #i of the ,small ,business ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #fch771 in support of biotechnology1 including to support proof of concept activities1 and the formation of startup companies4 7,c7 ,accelerating the translation1 scale-up1 and commercialization of new products1 processes1 and technologies in order to transfer fundamental research results to industry and accelerate commercial applications4 7,d7 ,facilitating public-private partnerships in biotechnology research and development that address and reduce barriers to scaling up biotechnology innovations4 7,e7 ,supporting a national network of testbeds based on open standards1 interfaces1 and processes1 including by repurposing existing facilities1 to enable scale-up of biotechnology research4 7,f7 ,providing incentives for retooling of industrial sites across the ,united ,states to foster a pivot to biotechnology4 7,g7 ,providing access to user facilities with advanced or unique equipment1 services1 materials1 and other resources1 including secure access to high-performance computing1 as appropriate1 to industry1 institutions of higher education1 nonprofit organizations1 and government agencies to perform research and testing4 7#f7 ,regulatory streamlining ,activities relating to regulatory streamlining as follows3 7,a7 ,conducting and coordinating regulatory streamlining for products that are produced with biotechnology4 7,b7 ,easing regulatory burden for types of biotechnology products that have become well-understood by regulators1 including products that could have occurred naturally or been developed with conventional means4 7,c7 ,establishing clear regulatory pathways for biotechnology products1 including through short-term regulatory trials to establish new or update existing regulatory pathways4 7,d7 ,ensuring consistent1 risk-proportionate regulation of biotechnology research and development activities1 including for release of products or organisms into the environment4 7,e7 ,conducting horizon scanning to identify novel biotechnology products and develop clear regulatory pathways for such products4 7#g7 ,biosafety and biosecurity ,activities relating to biosafety and biosecurity as follows3 7,a7 ,addressing biosafety1 biosecurity1 and responsible biology issues associated with emerging biotechnology4 7,b7 ,developing an applied management plan to address biological risks of biotechnology research4 7,c7 ,creating an adaptable1 evidence-based framework to respond to emerging biosecurity challenges that considers and informs updates of existing biosecurity governance policies1 guidance1 and directives and identifies necessary safeguards for new products1 processes1 and systems of biotechnology4 7,d7 ,conducting outreach to industry1 institutions of higher education1 nonprofit organizations1 and government agencies to increase awareness of biosafety and biosecurity implications of biotechnology research4 7#h7 ,workforce development ,activities relating to workforce development as follows3 7,a7 ,providing sustained support for development of a domestic biotechnology workforce4 7,b7 ,ensuring that ,congress and ,federal departments and agencies have access to necessary expertise across national security and emerging biotechnology issues4 7,c7 ,supporting ,federal biotechnology education and workforce training programs and initiatives for students and workers4 7,d7 ,supporting education and training of undergraduate and graduate students in biotechnology1 including biomanufacturing1 bioprocess engineering1 and computational science applied to biotechnology4 7,e7 ,connecting researchers1 graduate students1 and postdoctoral fellows with entrepreneurship education and training opportunities1 including to award grants1 on a competitive basis1 that enable institutions to support graduate students1 and postdoctoral fellows who perform some of their biotechnology research in an industry setting4 7,f7 ,supporting professional development1 continuing education1 and skills development 7such as re-skilling and upskilling7 for veterans1 industry workers1 and technology professionals4 7,g7 ,supporting curriculum development and research experiences for secondary1 undergraduate1 and graduate students in biotechnology1 including through support for graduate fellowships and traineeships in biotechnology to ensure that students are receiving up-to-date training that keeps pace with biotechnologies as they evolve and meets industry workforce needs so students are qualified for employment4 7,h7 ,supporting curriculum development and research experiences in biotechnology and associated data and information sciences across the ,federal workforce1 including for the military education system4 7#i7 ,bioliteracy ,activities relating to bioliteracy as follows3 7,a7 ,providing clear1 easy-to-find information about biotechnology for policymakers1 innovators1 and the public4 7,b7 ,supporting greater evidence-based public discourse about the benefits and risks of biotechnology4 7,c7 ,ensuring that public input and outreach are integrated into ,federal biotechnology activities through regular and ongoing public discussions such as workshops1 consensus conferences1 and educational events1 as may be appropriate4 7#aj7 ,international partnerships ,activities relating to international partnerships as follows3 7,a7 ,developing an internal international engagement strategy for the respective department or agency1 in cooperation with relevant interagency partners4 7,b7 ,strengthening and developing bilateral and multilateral relationships to advance ,united ,states priorities in biotechnology abroad4 7,c7 ,providing sustained support and coordinating interagency activities in international biotechnology outreach and engagement with allies and partners4 7,d7 ,engaging in coordinated regulatory and commercial diplomacy to better align biotechnology regulations and expand market access for biotechnology products4 7,e7 ,supporting the development of international standards and norms for biotechnology1 including to define shared values and interests4 7,f7 ,supporting biological data-sharing agreements with partner countries4 7,g7 ,supporting biotechnology talent exchanges with partner countries1 including through fellowships1 work authorization programs1 and other mechanisms4 7,h7 ,supporting harmonization of multilateral export controls to protect against misuse of biotechnology4 7#aa7 ,other ,such other activities as the head of the participating agency determines may be needed to advance national security1 economic productivity1 and competitiveness relating to biotechnology4