[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 196 (Monday, December 9, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H9356-H9359]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
{time} 1515
ENGINEERING BIOLOGY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ACT OF 2019
Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
pass the bill (H.R. 4373) to provide for a coordinated Federal research
initiative to ensure continued United States leadership in engineering
biology, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 4373
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 ``Engineering Biology Research
and Development Act of 2019''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress makes the following findings:
(1) Cellular and molecular processes may be used, mimicked,
or redesigned to develop new products, processes, and systems
that improve societal well-being, strengthen national
security, and contribute to the economy.
(2) Engineering biology relies on a workforce with a
diverse and unique set of skills combining the biological,
physical, chemical, and information sciences and engineering.
(3) Long-term research and development is necessary to
create breakthroughs in engineering biology. Such research
and development requires government investment as many of the
benefits are too distant or uncertain for industry to support
alone.
(4) Research is necessary to inform evidence-based
governance of engineering biology and to support the growth
of the engineering biology industry.
(5) The Federal Government can play an important role by
facilitating the development of tools and technologies to
further advance engineering biology, including user
facilities, by facilitating public-private partnerships, by
supporting risk research, and by facilitating the commercial
application in the United States of research funded by the
Federal Government.
(5) The United States led the development of the science
and engineering techniques that created the field of
engineering biology, but due to increasing international
competition, the United States is at risk of losing its
competitive advantage if does not invest the necessary
resources and have a national strategy.
(6) A National Engineering Biology Initiative can serve to
establish new research directions and technology goals,
improve interagency coordination and planning processes,
drive technology transfer to the private sector, and help
ensure optimal returns on the Federal investment.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Biomanufacturing.--The term ``biomanufacturing'' means
the utilization of biological systems to develop new and
advance existing products, tools, and processes at commercial
scale.
(2) Engineering biology.--The term ``engineering biology''
means the application of engineering design principles and
practices to biological systems, including molecular and
cellular systems, to advance fundamental understanding of
complex natural systems and to enable novel or optimize
functions and capabilities.
(3) Initiative.--The term ``Initiative'' means the National
Engineering Biology Research and Development Initiative
established under section 4.
(4) Omics.--The term ``omics'' refers to the collective
technologies used to explore the roles, relationships, and
actions of the various types of molecules that make up the
cells of an organism.
SEC. 4. NATIONAL ENGINEERING BIOLOGY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
INITIATIVE.
(a) In General.--The President, acting through the Office
of Science and Technology Policy, shall implement a National
Engineering Biology Research and Development Initiative to
advance societal well-being, national security,
sustainability, and economic productivity and competitiveness
through--
(1) advancing areas of research at the intersection of the
biological, physical, chemical, and information sciences and
engineering to accelerate scientific understanding and
technological innovation in engineering biology;
(2) advancing areas of biomanufacturing research to
optimize, standardize, scale, and deliver new products and
solutions;
(3) supporting social and behavioral sciences and economics
research that advances the field of engineering biology and
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contributes to the development and public understanding of
new products, processes, and technologies;
(4) supporting risk research, including under subsection
(d);
(5) supporting the development of novel tools and
technologies to accelerate scientific understanding and
technological innovation in engineering biology;
(6) expanding the number of researchers, educators, and
students with engineering biology training, including from
traditionally underserved populations;
(7) accelerating the translation and commercialization of
engineering biology research and development by the private
sector; and
(8) improving the interagency planning and coordination of
Federal Government activities related to engineering biology.
(b) Initiative Activities.--The activities of the
Initiative shall include--
(1) sustained support for engineering biology research and
development through--
(A) grants to individual investigators and teams of
investigators, including interdisciplinary teams;
(B) projects funded under joint solicitations by a
collaboration of no fewer than two agencies participating in
the Initiative; and
(C) interdisciplinary research centers that are organized
to investigate basic research questions, carry out technology
development and demonstration activities, and increase
understanding of how to scale up engineering biology
processes, including biomanufacturing;
(2) sustained support for databases and related tools,
including--
(A) support for curated genomics, epigenomics, and all
other relevant omics databases, including plant and microbial
databases, that are available to researchers to carry out
engineering biology research;
(B) development of standards for such databases, including
for curation, interoperability, and protection of privacy and
security; and
(C) support for the development of computational tools,
including artificial intelligence tools, that can accelerate
research and innovation using such databases; and
(D) an inventory and assessment of all Federal government
omics databases to identify opportunities for consolidation
and inform investment in such databases as critical
infrastructure for the engineering biology research
enterprise;
(3) sustained support for the development, optimization,
and validation of novel tools and technologies to enable the
dynamic study of molecular processes in situ, including
through grants to investigators at institutions of higher
education and other nonprofit research institutions, and
through the Small Business Innovation Research Program and
the Small Business Technology Transfer Program, as described
in section 9 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 638);
(4) education and training of undergraduate and graduate
students in engineering biology, in biomanufacturing, in
bioprocess engineering, and in areas of computational science
applied to engineering biology;
(5) activities to develop robust mechanisms for tracking
and quantifying the outputs and economic benefits of
engineering biology; and
(6) activities to accelerate the translation and
commercialization of new products, processes, and
technologies by--
(A) identifying precompetitive research opportunities;
(B) facilitating public-private partnerships in engineering
biology research and development;
(C) connecting researchers, graduate students, and
postdoctoral fellows with entrepreneurship education and
training opportunities; and
(D) supporting proof of concept activities and the
formation of startup companies including through programs
such as the Small Business Innovation Research Program and
the Small Business Technology Transfer Program.
(c) Expanding Participation.--The Initiative shall include,
to the maximum extent practicable, outreach to primarily
undergraduate and minority-serving institutions about
Initiative opportunities, and shall encourage the development
of research collaborations between research-intensive
universities and primarily undergraduate and minority-serving
institutions.
(d) Ethical, Legal, Environmental, Safety, Security, and
Societal Issues.--Initiative activities shall take into
account ethical, legal, environmental, safety, security, and
other appropriate societal issues by--
(1) supporting research, including in the social sciences,
and other activities addressing ethical, legal,
environmental, and other appropriate societal issues related
to engineering biology, including integrating research on
such topics with the research and development in engineering
biology, and ensuring that the results of such research are
widely disseminated, including through interdisciplinary
engineering biology research centers described in subsection
(b)(1);
(2) supporting research and other activities related to the
safety and security implications of engineering biology,
including outreach to increase awareness among federally-
funded researchers at institutions of higher education about
potential safety and security implications of engineering
biology research, as appropriate;
(3) ensuring that input from Federal and non-Federal
experts on the ethical, legal, environmental, security, and
other appropriate societal issues related to engineering
biology is integrated into the Initiative; and
(4) ensuring, through the agencies and departments that
participate in the Initiative, that public input and outreach
are integrated into the Initiative by the convening of
regular and ongoing public discussions through mechanisms
such as workshops, consensus conferences, and educational
events, as appropriate.
SEC. 5. INITIATIVE COORDINATION.
(a) Interagency Committee.--The President, acting through
the Office of Science and Technology Policy, shall designate
an interagency committee to coordinate engineering biology,
which shall be co-chaired by the Office of Science and
Technology Policy, and include representatives from the
National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National
Institute of Standards and Technology, the Environmental
Protection Agency, the Department of Agriculture, the
National Institutes of Health, the Bureau of Economic
Analysis, and any other agency that the President considers
appropriate (in this section referred to as the ``interagency
committee''). The Director of the Office of Science and
Technology Policy shall select an additional co-chairperson
from among the members of the Interagency Committee. The
Interagency Committee shall oversee the planning, management,
and coordination of the Initiative. The Interagency Committee
shall--
(1) provide for interagency coordination of Federal
engineering biology research, development, and other
activities undertaken pursuant to the Initiative;
(2) establish and periodically update goals and priorities
for the Initiative;
(3) develop, not later than 12 months after the date of
enactment of this Act, and update every 3 years, a strategic
plan that--
(A) guides the activities of the Initiative for purposes of
meeting the goals and priorities established under (and
updated pursuant to) paragraph (2); and
(B) describes--
(i) the Initiative's support for long-term funding for
interdisciplinary engineering biology research and
development;
(ii) the Initiative's support for education and public
outreach activities;
(iii) the Initiative's support for research and other
activities on ethical, legal, environmental, safety,
security, and other appropriate societal issues related to
engineering biology;
(iv) how the Initiative will move results out of the
laboratory and into application for the benefit of society
and United States competitiveness; and
(v) how the Initiative will measure and track the
contributions of engineering biology to United States
economic growth and other societal indicators;
(4) develop a national genomic sequencing strategy to
ensure engineering biology research fully leverages plant,
animal, and microbe biodiversity to enhance long-term
innovation and competitiveness in engineering biology in the
United States;
(5) propose an annually coordinated interagency budget for
the Initiative that is intended to ensure--
(A) the maintenance of a robust engineering biology
research and development portfolio; and
(B) that the balance of funding across the Initiative is
sufficient to meet the goals and priorities established for
the Program;
(6) develop a plan to utilize Federal programs, such as the
Small Business Innovation Research Program and the Small
Business Technology Transfer Program as described in section
9 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 638), in support of
the activities described in section 4(b)(3); and
(7) in carrying out this section, take into consideration
the recommendations of the advisory committee established
under section 6, the results of the workshop convened under
section 7, existing reports on related topics, and the views
of academic, State, industry, and other appropriate groups.
(b) Annual Report.--Beginning with fiscal year 2020, not
later than 90 days after submission of the President's annual
budget request and each fiscal year thereafter, the
interagency committee shall prepare and submit to the
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate a report that includes--
(1) a summarized agency budget in support of the Initiative
for the fiscal year to which such budget request applies, and
for the then current fiscal year, including a breakout of
spending for each agency participating in the Program and for
the development and acquisition of any research facilities
and instrumentation; and
(2) an assessment of how Federal agencies are implementing
the plan described in subsection (a)(3), and a description of
the amount and number of awards made under the Small Business
Innovation Research Program and the Small Business Technology
Transfer Program (as described in section 9 of the Small
Business Act (15 U.S.C. 638)) in support of the Initiative.
(c) Initiative Office.--
(1) In general.--The President shall establish an
Initiative Coordination Office, with a Director and full-time
staff, which shall--
(A) provide technical and administrative support to the
interagency committee and
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the advisory committee established under section 6;
(B) serve as the point of contact on Federal engineering
biology activities for government organizations, academia,
industry, professional societies, State governments,
interested citizen groups, and others to exchange technical
and programmatic information;
(C) oversee interagency coordination of the Initiative,
including by encouraging and supporting joint agency
solicitation and selection of applications for funding of
activities under the Initiative;
(D) conduct public outreach, including dissemination of
findings and recommendations of the advisory committee
established under section 6, as appropriate; and
(E) promote access to, and early application of, the
technologies, innovations, and expertise derived from
Initiative activities to agency missions and systems across
the Federal Government, and to United States industry,
including startup companies.
(2) Funding.--The Director of the Office of Science and
Technology Policy shall develop an estimate of the funds
necessary to carry out the activities of the Initiative
Coordination Office, including an estimate of how much each
participating agency described in subsection (a) will
contribute to such funds, and submit such estimate to
Congress no later than 90 days after the enactment of this
Act.
(3) Termination.--The Initiative Coordination Office
established under this subsection shall terminate on the date
that is 10 years after the date of the enactment of this Act,
unless a determination is made by the President that such
Office is necessary to meet the economic or national security
goals of the Program.
SEC. 6. ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
(a) In General.--The President, acting through the Office
of Science and Technology Policy, shall designate or
establish an advisory committee on engineering biology
research and development (in this section referred to as the
``advisory committee'') to be composed of not fewer than 12
members, including representatives of research and academic
institutions, industry, and nongovernmental entities, who are
qualified to provide advice on the Initiative.
(b) Assessment.--The advisory committee shall assess--
(1) the current state of United States competitiveness in
engineering biology, including the scope and scale of United
States investments in engineering biology research and
development in the international context;
(2) current market barriers to commercialization of
engineering biology products, processes, and tools in the
United States;
(3) progress made in implementing the Initiative;
(4) the need to revise the Initiative;
(5) the balance of activities and funding across the
Initiative;
(6) whether the strategic plan developed or updated by the
interagency committee established under section 5 is helping
to maintain United States leadership in engineering biology;
(7) the management, coordination, implementation, and
activities of the Initiative; and
(8) whether ethical, legal, environmental, safety,
security, and other appropriate societal issues are
adequately addressed by the Initiative.
(c) Reports.--Beginning not later than 2 years after the
date of enactment of this Act, and not less frequently than
once every 3 years thereafter, the advisory committee shall
submit to the President, the Committee on Science, Space, and
Technology of the House of Representatives, and the Committee
on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, a
report on--
(1) the findings of the advisory committee's assessment
under subsection (b); and
(2) the advisory committee's recommendations for ways to
improve the Initiative.
(d) Application of Federal Advisory Committee Act.--Section
14 of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.)
shall not apply to the Advisory Committee.
SEC. 7. EXTERNAL REVIEW OF ETHICAL, LEGAL, ENVIRONMENTAL, AND
SOCIETAL ISSUES.
(a) In General.--Not later than 6 months after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Director of the National Science
Foundation shall enter into an agreement with the National
Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to conduct a
review, and make recommendations with respect to, the
ethical, legal, environmental, and other appropriate societal
issues related to engineering biology research and
development. The review shall include--
(1) an assessment of the current research on such issues;
(2) a description of the research gaps relating to such
issues;
(3) recommendations on how the Initiative can address the
research needs identified pursuant to paragraph (2); and
(4) recommendations on how engineering biology researchers
can best incorporate considerations of ethical, legal,
environmental, and other societal issues into the development
of research proposals and the conduct of research.
(b) Report to Congress.--The agreement entered into under
subsection (a) shall require the National Academy of
Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to, not later than 2
years after the date of the enactment of this Act--
(1) submit to the Committee on Science, Space, and
Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee
on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a
report containing the findings and recommendations of the
review conducted under subsection (a); and
(2) make a copy of such report available on a publicly
accessible website.
SEC. 8. AGENCY ACTIVITIES.
(a) National Science Foundation.--As part of the
Initiative, the National Science Foundation shall--
(1) support basic research in engineering biology through
individual grants and through interdisciplinary research
centers;
(2) support research on the environmental, legal, and
social implications of engineering biology;
(3) provide support for research instrumentation for
engineering biology disciplines, including support for
research, development, optimization and validation of novel
technologies to enable the dynamic study of molecular
processes in situ;
(4) support curriculum development and research experiences
for secondary, undergraduate, and graduate students in
engineering biology and biomanufacturing; and
(5) award grants, on a competitive basis, to enable
institutions to support graduate students and postdoctoral
fellows who perform some of their engineering biology
research in an industry setting.
(b) Department of Commerce.--As part of the Initiative, the
Director of the National Institute of Standards and
Technology shall--
(1) establish a bioscience research program to advance the
development of standard reference materials and measurements
and to create new data tools, techniques, and processes
necessary to advance engineering biology and
biomanufacturing;
(2) provide access to user facilities with advanced or
unique equipment, services, materials, and other resources to
industry, institutions of higher education, nonprofit
organizations, and government agencies to perform research
and testing; and
(3) provide technical expertise to inform the potential
development of guidelines or safeguards for new products,
processes, and systems of engineering biology.
(c) Department of Energy.--As part of the Initiative, the
Secretary of Energy shall--
(1) conduct and support research, development,
demonstration, and commercial application activities in
engineering biology, including in the areas of synthetic
biology, advanced biofuel development, biobased materials,
and environmental remediation;
(2) support the development, optimization and validation of
novel, scalable tools and technologies to enable the dynamic
study of molecular processes in situ; and
(3) provide access to user facilities with advanced or
unique equipment, services, materials, and other resources,
as appropriate, to industry, institutions of higher
education, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies
to perform research and testing.
(d) National Aeronautics and Space Administration.--As part
of the Initiative, the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration shall--
(1) conduct and support basic and applied research in
engineering biology, including in synthetic biology, and
related to Earth and space sciences, aeronautics, space
technology, and space exploration and experimentation,
consistent with the priorities established in the National
Academies' decadal surveys; and
(2) award grants, on a competitive basis, that enable
institutions to support graduate students and postdoctoral
fellows who perform some of their engineering biology
research in an industry setting.
(e) Environmental Protection Agency.--As part of the
Initiative, the Environmental Protection Agency shall support
research on how products, processes, and systems of
engineering biology will affect or can protect the
environment.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
Texas (Ms. Johnson) and the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Lucas) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Texas.
General Leave
Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks
and to include extraneous materials on H.R. 4373, the bill under
consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Texas?
There was no objection.
Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
I rise today in support of H.R. 4373, the Engineering Biology
Research and Development Act of 2019.
I want to thank Ranking Member Lucas for joining me in introducing
this legislation.
The term ``engineering biology'' means the application of engineering
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design, principles, and practices to biological systems to advance
fundamental understanding of complex natural systems and to enable
novel functions and capabilities.
Engineering biology research is used in microbes and plants to grow
food more resilient to climate change, reduce our dependency on fossil
fuels, and make more effective drugs to treat human diseases. Some
researchers are even engineering microbes for environmental cleanup.
These are some of our Nation's and world's greatest challenges, and
engineering biology is one of our greatest tools.
The economy of the 21st century will be driven by the bioeconomy.
Other countries are making significant investments in engineering
biology research and development. We must recognize that U.S.
leadership is not just about growing our economy and ensuring that our
Nation benefits from the products of engineering biology; it is also
about leading responsibly.
As China accelerates its own investments and the tools of engineering
biology are increasingly cheap and accessible to individuals
everywhere, we must also be mindful of the security implications. The
potential for misuse of this technology to cause harm makes more urgent
our need to invest strategically in engineering biology research today.
Along with authorizing a Federal engineering biology research
initiative, this bill would also establish a framework for greater
coordination of Federal investments in engineering biology; require a
national strategy for those investments; expand public-private
partnerships; focus on the education and training for the next
generation of engineering biology researchers; and address any
potential ethical, security, and societal issues associated with
engineering biology research.
It is past time for the United States to recognize the significance
of this emerging research area to our economic and national security.
I was disappointed by the lack of such recognition in this
administration's last budget request but hopeful to see the tide
turning with the convening of a recent White House summit on the
bioeconomy.
I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the
aisle and with the administration to ensure that the United States will
not lose its leadership position in this area.
H.R. 4373 is an important bill, and I urge my colleagues to support
it.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I rise in support of H.R. 4373, the Engineering Biology Research and
Development Act of 2019.
I was proud to join Chairwoman Johnson, as well as Representatives
Jim Sensenbrenner and Zoe Lofgren, in introducing this bill.
The U.S. was a key driver in biological innovation in the 20th
century, but there is increasing global competition. Other countries
recognize the benefits of biotech technology and are striving to
capture its potential through new investments and friendly regulations.
H.R. 4373 promotes a national research strategy around engineering
biology to ensure that the U.S. remains the global leader in biology
and biotechnology.
New gene editing techniques like CRISPR and the advancement of rapid
gene sequencing are driving innovation in agriculture, medicine,
energy, and manufacturing. We must keep pace and set a research and
regulatory framework that supports innovation and creates a marketplace
for new ideas and projects, while setting the safety and ethical
standards for the world to follow.
H.R. 4373 establishes a national engineering biology research and
development initiative to provide interagency research coordination and
develop a 3-year strategic plan.
The bill also authorizes research at the agencies under the Science
Committee's jurisdiction, including the National Science Foundation,
the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the Department
of Energy.
Last month, the White House convened a summit with the Nation's
foremost bioeconomy leaders from industry, academia, and government to
discuss how to maintain America's leadership in biology for our
economic and national security. I hope that summit, along with this
legislation, will build momentum for a serious national public-private
effort to advance and protect the U.S. bioeconomy.
I urge my colleagues to support this good, bipartisan bill.
I would note to the chairwoman that I have no additional speakers,
and I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I have no requests for time, and
if the gentleman is ready to close, then I reserve the balance of my
time.
Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
In both the Agriculture Committee and the Science Committee, we have
discussed biotechnology research and regulation for years, but I can't
remember a more exciting or challenging time for the field than today.
H.R. 4373 will set a national agenda to advance innovation and help us
meet those challenges.
I appreciate the chairwoman and her staff for working with us and the
biology stakeholder community to produce a good, bipartisan bill. I ask
my colleagues to support this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my
time.
I wish to express my appreciation for Mr. Sensenbrenner, Mr. Lucas,
Ms. Lofgren, and myself, and I have no further requests for time.
I would simply urge the passage of this bill, and I yield back the
balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Johnson) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 4373, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________