Young, Padilla Introduce Bill to Promote U.S. Biotechnology Innovation

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.), chair of the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology (NSCEB), and U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), a NSCEB commissioner, introduced the National Biotechnology Initiative Act of 2025. 

The legislation would set in motion a whole-of-government approach to advancing biotechnology for U.S. national security, economic productivity, and competitiveness. The bill would establish a National Biotechnology Coordination Office within the Executive Office of the President to lead and coordinate federal biotechnology efforts. The legislation is a key recommendation from the Commission’s report,  which was released earlier this week. The full report can be found here.

“The United States has long been a leader in biotechnology, but we now risk losing our edge to China. In this era of global competition, we need to promote American biotech innovation and manufacturing. Our legislation will provide a long-term strategy to make federal agencies work together — with greater efficiency — to support American biotechnology,” said NSCEB Chair Senator Young.

“American innovation in biotechnology will unlock new economic and national security possibilities across a wide array of key sectors, from battlefield innovation and industrial manufacturing to health care and agriculture. Keeping all federal agencies aligned and working on domestic biotech priorities is critical, but our Commission has found that communication is still fragmented. By creating the National Biotechnology Coordination Office, our bipartisan legislation would ensure lasting, organized collaboration between federal agencies to build a long-term biotech strategy and secure American leadership in its development,” said NSCEB Commissioner Senator Padilla.

More specifically, the legislation would promote federal coordination on biotechnology by establishing:

1. A National Biotechnology Coordination Office (NBCO) within the Executive Office of the President to lead and coordinate federal biotechnology efforts. The NBCO would streamline biotechnology regulation to ease regulatory burdens on well-understood products, negotiate interagency agreements to describe clear regulatory pathways, and work with the Office of Management and Budget in cases of disagreement. The NBCO would publish a national biotechnology strategy every five years;

2. A Principal Advisor to the President for Biotechnology, who would also serve as Director of the Coordination Office;

3. An Interagency Committee to coordinate across federal departments and agencies; and

4. Clear roles and responsibilities for all federal departments and agencies engaged in biotechnology.

U.S. Representatives Stephanie Bice (R-OK-5) and Representative Ro Khanna (D-CA-17), both NSCEB commissioners, introduced the legislation in the House.