The Biosecure Act, or H.R. 8333, was a bill introduced during the

118th United States Congress The 118th United States Congress was a meeting of the United States Congress, legislative branch of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House ...

that prohibits entities that receive federal funds from using

biotechnology Biotechnology is a multidisciplinary field that involves the integration of natural sciences and Engineering Science, engineering sciences in order to achieve the application of organisms and parts thereof for products and services. Specialists ...

that is from a company associated with a U.S. foreign adversary. However, the bill was not included in the last legislation during the 118 United States Congress and as a result, it did not become law in 2024.

Bill summary

The Biosecure Act prohibits entities that receive federal funds from using

that is from a company associated with a foreign adversary. Specifically, U.S. federal agencies and recipients of federal funds (e.g., grantees) may not procure or use any biotechnology equipment or service that is from a biotechnology company of concern and may not contract with any entities that do so. A ''biotechnology company of concern'' is defined in this bill as "an entity that is under the control of a foreign adversary and that poses a risk to national security based on its research or multiomic data collection (e.g., collection of genomic information)." The

Office of Management and Budget The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is the largest office within the Executive Office of the President of the United States (EOP). The office's most prominent function is to produce the president's budget, while it also examines agency pro ...

(OMB) must, in coordination with the

Department of Defense The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD, or DOD) is an executive department of the U.S. federal government charged with coordinating and supervising the six U.S. armed services: the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Space Force, ...

(DOD) and other specified agencies, develop a list of prohibited companies; the list must include five particular companies, as specified in the bill. OMB and DOD may approve waivers of these restrictions on an as-needed basis, which are valid for up to one year and may be extended once for an additional 180 days. In addition, the

Office of the Director of National Intelligence The director of national intelligence (DNI) is a cabinet-level United States government intelligence and security official. The position is required by the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 to serve as executive head o ...

must report on the national security risks posed by (1) multiomic data collection by foreign adversaries in connection with biotechnology equipment or services, and (2) biotechnology companies that have such data.

Legislative support and activity

In May 2024, Representatives

Brad Wenstrup Brad Robert Wenstrup (born June 17, 1958) is an American politician, U.S. Army Reserve officer, and doctor of podiatric medicine, who served as the U.S. representative for from 2013 to 2025. A Republican, he upset incumbent U.S. representati ...

and

Raja Krishnamoorthy Raja Krishnamoorthy, popularly known as Kitty is an Indian director, screenwriter and actor, primarily working in the Tamil film industry. Notable also for his work in Telugu, Malayalam, and Hindi cinema, he directed the film '' Dasarathan'' ...

introduced H.R. 8333 in the U.S. House of Representatives. Upon introducing the legislation, the lawmakers said:

"The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) national security laws require all Chinese firms to share any requested data with the CCP, including biotechnology companies that collect, test, and store American genomic data.
Beijing Genomics Institute BGI Group, formerly Beijing Genomics Institute, is a Chinese genomics company with headquarters in Yantian, Shenzhen, Yantian, Shenzhen. The company was originally formed in 1999 as a genetics research center to participate in the Human Genome Pro ...
(BGI), a company in the People's Republic of China (PRC), has collected DNA from millions around the world and used that data without consent on genomic projects conducted by the Chinese military. Chinese company WuXi AppTec has sponsored events with China's military, reportedly stolen U.S. IP, and jointly operated genetic collection sites with China's military."

Upon introduction, the bill was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Accountability. On May 15, 2024, the Committee advanced the bill in a 40–1 vote, demonstrating unusually high bipartisan support. On September 9, 2024. the U.S. House passed the Biosecure Act by a vote of 306–81, well exceeding the two-thirds vote required to pass. The bill was then sent to the

U.S. Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and House have the authority under Article One of the ...

and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. In December 2024, WuXi AppTec announced that it would sell its Oxford Genetics and WuXi Advanced Therapies to a U.S.-based private equity firm, reportedly due to the Biosecure Act which is deterring potential clients.

References

{{reflist Proposed legislation of the 118th United States Congress United States biotechnology law National security of the United States