H.R. 9307

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9307 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 9307

To require the Secretary of Energy to establish a centralized resource 
for access to data to facilitate biological research through enabling 
advanced computational methods such as artificial intelligence, and for 
other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

June 11, 2026

Mr. Van Epps (for himself and Mr. Auchincloss) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and 
Technology

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To require the Secretary of Energy to establish a centralized resource 
for access to data to facilitate biological research through enabling 
advanced computational methods such as artificial intelligence, 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. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Web of Biological Data Act of 
2026''.

SEC. 2. WEB OF BIOLOGICAL DATA.

(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Advisory board.--The term ``advisory board'' means the 
advisory board established under subsection (h).
(2) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of 
the National Laboratory selected under subsection (b)(1)(A).
(3) National laboratory.--The term ``National Laboratory'' 
has the meaning given the term in section 2 of the Energy 
Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 15801).
(4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
of Energy.
(5) Web.--The term ``Web'' means the Web of Biological Data 
established under subsection (b)(1)(A).
(b) Establishment.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall--
(A) through a competitive process, award a grant to 
a National Laboratory to establish a centralized data 
resource, to be known as the ``Web of Biological 
Data'', to facilitate biological research through 
advanced computational methods such as artificial 
intelligence; and
(B) establish a research and development program to 
further data science relating to generating, storing, 
curating, and managing biological data.
(2) Contents.--The Web shall--
(A) serve as a single point of entry for 
researchers to access different sources of biological 
data, especially those funded by the Federal 
Government, by directly hosting data or providing 
access to existing databases;
(B) have metrics and metadata to indicate data 
quality, including usability, interoperability, and 
completeness; and
(C) include tiered levels of cybersecurity 
safeguards and access controls to protect different 
types of biological data assets hosted in or connected 
to the Web.
(c) Duties of Director.--As part of establishing the Web, the 
Director may--
(1) enter into data sharing agreements, memoranda of 
understanding, or other relevant contracts with other Federal 
departments and agencies to integrate biological datasets into 
the Web that are not hosted by the Department of Energy;
(2) enter into cost-sharing agreements with nongovernmental 
entities to fund the Web;
(3) establish partnerships with other Federal departments 
and agencies, academia, industry, and international partners 
and allies to optimize usability and performance of the Web; 
and
(4) carry out any other activities determined necessary by 
the Secretary to advance United States biological data curation 
and sharing.
(d) Implementation Plan.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Director, in consultation with the 
Secretary, shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Science, Space, and 
Technology of the House of Representatives an implementation plan for 
the Web that describes--
(1) how the Director and the Secretary shall implement this 
section;
(2) a plan for working with Federal departments and 
agencies--
(A) to acquire data that was collected through 
Federal funding; and
(B) to digitize biological samples that are 
currently owned or funded by the Federal Government;
(3) the type of initial projects that shall be pursued 
under the program established under subsection (b)(1)(B);
(4) a plan for exploring and implementing cost-sharing 
agreements, including with philanthropy and industry, to assist 
in cost-sharing for the Web;
(5) a cybersecurity plan for the Web; and
(6) how the Director will leverage partnerships with other 
Federal departments and agencies, academia, and industry.
(e) Phase I.--Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Director shall--
(1) test an initial version of the Web, which shall--
(A) focus on specific biological data subtypes 
selected in consultation with the advisory board, 
representatives from other Federal departments and 
agencies, and external stakeholders from industry and 
academia;
(B) include a single point-of-entry interface for 
biological data that--
(i) optimizes user experience and data 
management;
(ii) is built around human-centered design 
principles;
(iii) is built with the capability to 
expand to other datasets and biological 
datatypes beyond the initial version; and
(iv) is built with tiered security access;
(C) include initial frameworks, developed in 
collaboration with the National Institute of Standards 
and Technology, for application programming interfaces 
focusing on hosting an initial list of biological data 
subtypes; and
(D) include appropriate cybersecurity and access 
safeguards to protect data accessible by the Web, 
including limiting access to adversarial countries and 
countries that do not participate in reciprocal data 
sharing, as determined by the Secretary;
(2) as part of developing the initial version of the Web 
described in paragraph (1)--
(A) work with Federal departments and agencies to 
acquire data that was collected through Federal 
funding;
(B) develop cost-sharing agreements, including with 
philanthropic and industry members, to fund the Web; 
and
(C) work with biotechnology stakeholders to test 
and evaluate the initial version and implement any 
needed changes to ensure usability;
(3) select initial research projects to fund under the 
research and development program established under subsection 
(b)(1)(B); and
(4) submit a report to the committees described in 
subsection (j) on the implementation of this subsection and 
plans for carrying out subsection (f).
(f) Phase II.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 5 years after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Director shall expand the Web--
(A) to be accessible to United States researchers;
(B) to accommodate different types of biological 
data; and
(C) to be capable of adapting and expanding based 
on the emergence of new biological data.
(2) Features.--The expanded version of the Web described in 
paragraph (1) shall have the following features:
(A) A fully realized single point-of-entry 
interface that--
(i) is connected to any dataset or database 
that hosts federally funded data;
(ii) hosts biological data not already 
stored by other Federal databases; and
(iii) hosts relevant bioinformatic tools 
for optimized access and analysis.
(B) A full suite of interoperability frameworks 
associated with different types of biological data, 
metadata, and appropriate ontologies.
(C) An online interface that optimizes usability, 
including the ability to rapidly search through 
metadata across databases.
(D) Incorporation of human-centered design 
principles into user interfaces.
(E) A standard quality and format for the hosted 
biological data that is appropriate for training 
artificial intelligence models.
(F) Restrictions on data sharing with countries 
described in subsection (e)(1)(D).
(G) Appropriate cybersecurity requirements and 
tiered safeguards related to the sensitivity of data to 
prevent misuse of data.
(3) Other activities.--In the 3-year period following the 
2-year period described in subsection (e), the Secretary shall 
continue--
(A) to carry out the activities described in 
subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (2) of that 
subsection; and
(B) to carry out the research and development 
program established under subsection (b)(1)(B).
(g) Independent Assessment of Cybersecurity.--The Director shall 
seek to enter into a contract with an external entity to conduct a 
biannual independent assessment of the cybersecurity safeguards and 
access controls of the Web.
(h) Advisory Board.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the 
Secretary selects a National Laboratory under subsection 
(b)(1)(A), the Secretary shall establish an advisory board to 
oversee the implementation of the Web and ensure that the Web 
maximizes the usability of biological datasets across sectors.
(2) Chair.--The Chair of the advisory board shall be the 
Director.
(3) Members.--The advisory board shall consist of 11 
additional members, of whom--
(A) 4 shall be representatives of industry;
(B) 2 shall be representatives of academia;
(C) 2 shall be representatives of National 
Laboratories (excluding the National Laboratory 
selected under subsection (b)(1)(A)); and
(D) 3 shall be representatives of relevant Federal 
departments and agencies, as determined by the 
Director, of whom one or more shall be a subject-matter 
expert on biosecurity research.
(4) FACA exemption.--Chapter 10 of title 5, United States 
Code, shall not apply to the advisory board.
(i) Collaboration.--In developing the Web, the Director shall 
collaborate with--
(1) Federal departments and agencies involved in biosafety 
and biosecurity capabilities to assist with implementation of 
proper cybersecurity and biosecurity safeguards;
(2) the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource 
of the National Science Foundation to ensure integration of 
well-curated biological data with cutting-edge foundational 
artificial intelligence tools;
(3) the National Institute of Standards and Technology to 
ensure that--
(A) the data included in the Web is formatted in a 
way that is appropriate for training artificial 
intelligence models; and
(B) associated application programming interfaces 
and ontologies are sufficiently adaptable to changes in 
biological data;
(4) the National Library of Medicine to ensure 
compatibility and interoperability between the National Center 
for Biotechnology information databases and the Web;
(5) a nongovernmental group that is qualified to implement 
an online interface that maximizes usability by the public and 
human-centered design; and
(6) any other Federal departments and agencies determined 
relevant by the Director.
(j) Report.--Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of 
this Act, and annually thereafter, the Director shall submit to the 
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the 
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of 
Representatives a report describing--
(1) progress made in developing the Web, including--
(A) the quantity of data stored directly on the Web 
and accessible through application programming 
interfaces;
(B) collaborations with other Federal departments 
and agencies; and
(C) user engagement;
(2)(A) any cybersecurity vulnerabilities identified by an 
assessment carried out pursuant to subsection (g); and
(B) actions taken to address those vulnerabilities; and
(3) plans for maintenance, expansion, and development of 
the Web in the subsequent year.
(k) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated--
(1) $30,000,000 for the period of the first 3 years 
following the date of enactment of this Act to carry out 
subsection (b)(1)(B);
(2) $310,000,000 for the period of the first 3 years 
following the date of enactment of this Act to carry out 
subsection (e); and
(3) on completion of subsection (e) and the submission of 
the report described in paragraph (4) of that subsection, 
$80,000,000 for each of the subsequent 2 years to carry out 
this section.
(l) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be 
construed to supersede, modify, or waive any applicable requirement 
relating to privacy, informed consent, human-subjects protections, data 
use limitations, or protections against unauthorized disclosure, 
misuse, or reidentification applicable to biological data hosted in or 
accessible through the Web.
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