Bill Summary
This legislation seeks to establish a Biotechnology Management Office within the Department of Defense (DoD) to enhance the U.S. military's capabilities in biotechnology. Key components include:
1. **Designation of Leadership**: The Secretary of Defense is required to appoint a qualified senior official within 90 days of enactment to lead the office and oversee biotechnology issues.
2. **Office Establishment**: The Biotechnology Management Office must be established within 120 days, focusing on the development and maintenance of biotechnology capabilities in the DoD.
3. **Responsibilities**: The office will be tasked with creating a long-term roadmap for biotechnology R&D, updating policies for integrating biotech products, coordinating with various stakeholders (including government, industry, and academia), streamlining regulatory processes, conducting analyses of biotechnology advancements, fostering public-private partnerships, and addressing workforce training needs.
4. **Funding Support**: The legislation also amends existing law to allow funds allocated to the DoD for research and development to be used for bioindustrial manufacturing processes.
5. **Sunset Clause**: The office is set to operate until September 30, 2030, with a requirement for the Secretary to brief congressional defense committees on the office's scope and activities within 30 days of the senior official's appointment.
Overall, this legislation aims to bolster the U.S. military's biotechnology capabilities through structured management, coordination, and funding for R&D initiatives.
Possible Impacts
The legislation aimed at establishing a Biotechnology Management Office within the Department of Defense (DoD) could impact people in various ways. Here are three examples:
1. **Workforce Development and Job Creation**: The establishment of the Biotechnology Management Office and its focus on identifying workforce and training gaps may lead to the creation of new jobs and training programs in the biotechnology sector. This could benefit individuals seeking employment in high-tech fields, as well as those looking to enhance their skills in biotechnology and bioindustrial manufacturing processes, fostering a more skilled workforce.
2. **Public-Private Partnerships**: The legislation encourages the development of public-private partnerships involving academia, industry, and local governments. This could result in increased collaboration on biotechnology projects, leading to innovations that may improve healthcare, agriculture, and environmental sustainability. The beneficial outcomes of such partnerships could positively affect communities through advancements in technology and services that enhance quality of life.
3. **Regulatory Changes and Innovation**: By proposing options to streamline regulatory and acquisition processes, the legislation could facilitate faster adoption of biotechnology innovations within the DoD. This may lead to the quicker deployment of new technologies and products that could improve military capabilities. For civilians, advancements in biotech developed for defense purposes could eventually translate to civilian applications, such as improved medical treatments or agricultural methods, impacting public health and safety.
These examples illustrate how the establishment of a Biotechnology Management Office could have broader implications for the workforce, innovation, and societal benefits beyond the immediate scope of defense.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6664 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 6664
To establish a Biotechnology Management Office in the Department of
Defense and to provide support for the research and development of
bioindustrial manufacturing processes, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
December 11, 2025
Mr. Neguse introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Armed Services
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish a Biotechnology Management Office in the Department of
Defense and to provide support for the research and development of
bioindustrial manufacturing processes, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. BIOTECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT OFFICE.
(a) Designation of Senior Official.--Not later than 90 days after
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall
designate a senior official, with relevant biotechnology experience,
from a position within the Department of Defense that was in effect on
the day before the date of the enactment of this Act, to--
(1) be the senior official for biotechnology issues;
(2) be the head of the Biotechnology Management Office
established under subsection (b); and
(3) carry out the responsibilities for the office in
subsection (c).
(b) Establishment of Biotechnology Management Office.--Not later
than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the
Secretary of Defense shall, with input from the senior official
designated under subsection (a), charter and establish, under the
authority, direction, and control of the Deputy Secretary of Defense, a
Biotechnology Management Office to foster the development, acquisition,
and sustainment of broad-based biotechnology capabilities for the
Department.
(c) Responsibilities.--The office established under subsection (b)
shall be responsible for the following:
(1) Maintaining and executing a long-term research,
development, acquisition, and sustainment roadmap.
(2) Updating policies and guidance within the Department
relating to the acquisition, adoption, and transition of
biotechnology-based products into Department use.
(3) Coordinating with activities across the Department, the
Federal Government, industry, academia, and international
partners relating to biotechnology.
(4) Proposing options for streamlining the regulatory or
acquisition process of the Department.
(5) Conducting, as may be needed, global competition
analyses, net assessment, or forecasting to support
decisionmakers on biotechnology advances.
(6) Supporting the development of public-private
partnerships with academia, industry, and other State and local
government partners, including through the development or
fostering of regionally focused innovation ecosystems.
(7) Identifying biotechnology workforce and training gaps
across the workforce of the Department.
(8) Such other responsibilities as the Secretary considers
appropriate.
(d) Sunset.--This section shall terminate on September 30, 2030.
(e) Briefing.--Not later than 30 days after the designation of the
senior official pursuant to subsection (a), the Secretary shall provide
to the congressional defense committees a briefing on the proposed
scope of the charter for the office to be established pursuant to
subsection (b), as well as implementation plans for preliminary
activities the office will pursue during the proceeding one-year
period.
SEC. 2. SUPPORT FOR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OF BIOINDUSTRIAL
MANUFACTURING PROCESSES.
Section 215 of the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization
Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (Public Law 117-263; 10 U.S.C. 4841 note) is
amended--
(1) by redesignating subsections (d) through (f) as
subsections (e) through (g), respectively; and
(2) by inserting after subsection (c) the following new
subsection:
``(d) Funding.--Funds authorized to be appropriated or otherwise
made available to the Department of Defense for research, development,
test, and evaluation may be used to carry out the activities described
in subsection (c), including the design and construction activities
described in subsection (c).''.
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