New Bill Wants Tighter Security on Lab-Made DNA, Earmarks $25M for Standards and AI Risk Review

There's a new bill in the works, the "Nucleic Acid Standards for Biosecurity Act," and it's all about making sure the science of creating genetic material in labs – think custom DNA – stays on the safe side. It proposes to update an existing law, pushing for new safety guidelines, especially with artificial intelligence getting more involved in biotech. The plan includes more research on how to screen these synthetic nucleic acids (the building blocks of DNA and RNA), bringing together a group of experts to hash out best practices, and giving the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) $5 million a year from 2026 through 2030 to lead the charge.

Leveling Up the Genetic Safety Playbook

This bill isn't starting from scratch. It aims to amend Section 10221 of the Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation Act, which already tasks NIST with advancing engineering biology (designing and building new biological parts, devices, and systems). The big addition? A focus on "best practices, guidelines, and technical standards for risk management" when it comes to engineering biology and biomanufacturing (using biological systems to produce things like medicines or materials). Crucially, as stated in the proposed update to subsection (a)(1)(A), it calls out the need to manage "risks associated with the use of artificial intelligence."

Real-world translation: If scientists are using AI to design new medicines or materials from genetic code, this bill wants to ensure there are guardrails. For a biotech startup, this might eventually mean new protocols for how they use AI in their research to prevent accidental or deliberate creation of something harmful.

Calling in the Experts (and the Cash)

The bill tasks the Director (presumably of NIST, given the context of the amended Act) to ramp up research to improve biosecurity for nucleic acid synthesis – that's the artificial creation of DNA or RNA. This research would focus on "testing accuracy, security, and implementation" of screening methods. It also mandates setting up a "consortium of stakeholders." This means getting people from government, universities, and private companies around a table. Their job, according to the bill, is to "develop consensus priorities and best practices for synthetic nucleic acid procurement screening mechanisms" and create "roadmaps to guide activities." Basically, if your company sells custom DNA, this group will help figure out how to ensure you're not selling to someone with bad intentions, without bogging down legitimate research.

To get all this done, the bill "authorizes $5,000,000 to be appropriated for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030 for the National Institute of Standards and Technology." That’s a potential $25 million over five years for NIST to spearhead these efforts. And Congress wants updates: a report summarizing the consortium's findings is due to specific congressional committees "within 18 months of its first meeting."

The Fine Print: What This Means for You & the Biotech World

The Balancing Act: While the goal is better biosecurity – which is hard to argue against – how this rolls out matters. The "consortium of stakeholders" is key. Who gets a seat at that table, and will their "consensus priorities" truly prioritize public safety, or could industry interests unduly influence the outcomes? The bill doesn't specify the exact makeup, so that's an important detail to watch as things develop.

Potential Hurdles: Getting everyone to agree is one challenge; implementing new standards across a fast-moving industry is another. For companies, especially smaller ones in the biomanufacturing or synthetic biology space, new guidelines could mean new costs or operational changes. The bill aims for "best practices," but the practical impact will depend on what those entail.

Connecting to Existing Efforts: This isn't happening in a vacuum. By amending the Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation Act (which is part of the broader CHIPS and Science Act), it signals that this biosecurity push is part of a larger strategy to keep the U.S. at the forefront of science and tech, but with an eye toward responsible innovation.