The America’s Living Library Act establishes a Department of the Interior pilot program to collect and sequence genetic data from species within National Parks for a public, secure genomic database.
Todd Young
Senator
IN
The America’s Living Library Act establishes a pilot program within the Department of the Interior to collect and sequence genetic data from species across National Parks. This initiative will create a secure, public genomic database to support scientific research and conservation efforts while ensuring all samples and data remain under U.S. control. The program prioritizes ecological diversity and provides a framework for long-term biological storage and interagency collaboration.
National Parks to Map Wildlife DNA: A 10-Year Genomic Library for AI and Biotech Development
The federal government is launching a decade-long project to map the genetic code of life inside our National Parks. The America’s Living Library Act creates a pilot program within the Department of the Interior to collect samples from plants, animals, and fungi across 25 selected parks. Think of it as a massive, high-tech cataloging of the DNA that makes up our natural heritage, starting with five parks in the first six months and expanding to 20 more within two years. The goal is to build a public database of genomic data, but the fine print suggests this is as much about the future of the tech economy as it is about conservation.
The High-Tech Nature Hike
Under this bill, the U.S. Geological Survey will set up a dedicated office to manage the collection and sequencing of "high-priority species"—those with significant economic, cultural, or public health value (SEC. 2). While the data is destined for a public database, the bill specifically outlines a fast-track for U.S. companies to get "expedited, non-public access" to this data to train artificial intelligence models. This means if you’re a developer at a domestic biotech firm, you might get a head start on using this genetic library before the general public or global competitors. For the average person, this could eventually lead to breakthroughs in medicine or agriculture, but it also means the DNA of the plants and animals in your favorite hiking spots is becoming a key resource for the AI industry.
Who’s Footing the Bill?
This isn't a small-scale science project; it comes with a significant price tag for taxpayers. The bill authorizes a ramp-up in funding that starts at roughly $28 million in 2027 and climbs to over $90 million by 2031, spread across the Smithsonian, USDA, and NIH. To help cover costs long-term, the Secretary of the Interior is tasked with creating a "graduated subscription fee" (SEC. 2, Preliminary Report). While large corporations might see this as a standard cost of doing business, there’s a risk that smaller research teams or independent scientists could be priced out of the very data their tax dollars helped collect.
Keeping the Goods at Home
One of the most striking parts of the bill is its strict "Made in America" requirement for biological data. Section 2 explicitly states that physical samples cannot be transferred, exported, or loaned outside the United States, and all lab processing must happen in domestic facilities. It also draws a hard line against "foreign entities of concern," ensuring that companies owned or controlled by certain foreign governments can't get their hands on the expedited AI data. For a local lab technician or a domestic tech worker, this keeps the high-value research jobs and data infrastructure firmly on U.S. soil, though it creates a complex web of security and containment for any hazardous materials or pathogens found during the process.