CLARKSVILLE, TN – Today, Rep. Matt Van Epps (TN-07) and Rep. Jake Auchincloss (MA-04) introduced the bipartisan and bicameral Web of Biological Data Act of 2026, which will provide researchers access to high-quality biological data and will support the development of cutting-edge AI tools for scientific innovation.

This legislation was also introduced by Senator Todd Young of Indiana in the Senate.

Rep. Van Epps stated, “It’s no mystery that the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is investing heavily to consolidate biological data for scientific advancement. Meanwhile, American biological data is dispersed and uncoordinated for use, limiting America’s ability to develop the next generation of scientific and biomedical innovations. This lack of coordination also creates vulnerabilities that foreign adversaries can exploit by leveraging American biological data for their own strategic interests, giving these adversaries a competitive advantage in biosciences while operationally destabilizing U.S. biosecurity. That’s why the U.S. must leverage its biological data to advance scientific innovation, improve public health, and strengthen national security, while implementing strong cybersecurity safeguards to protect this critical data from strategic competitors. This legislation creates a data resource to serve as a secure, single point of entry for our world-class researchers, unlocking the novel discoveries that position the U.S. to lead in scientific innovation.”

“This is a national security priority. China is rapidly consolidating vast datasets to advance its strategic and national interests. For example, Beijing has been ramping up its development of biological weapons with the help of AI. Where the PRC lacks in AI model capabilities and computing power, it leads in data harmonization. America cannot fall behind. Creating an integrated biological data resource will enable researchers to standardize and securely access critical datasets needed to train cutting-edge AI models that drive scientific innovation. These powerful AI tools will empower scientists to do advanced research in fields like genomics, proteomics, pharmaceuticals, and even security research—all things that have the power to improve the lives of Americans,” Rep. Van Epps concluded.

“High-quality, AI-ready biological data will be the foundation of future American biotechnology innovation. This bill would unleash researchers to focus on innovation while preserving existing privacy protections, and it would secure U.S. biological data from exploitation by the Chinese Communist Party. This data is a strategic national resource that will prime the best and brightest in American biotechnology to launch U.S. innovation into the age of AI,” said Senator Young.

Rep. Auchincloss stated, “Discoveries in diseases like Schizophrenia & Alzheimer’s have been slower than other ailments, in part due to the immense complexity of overlaying genomic, biologic and neurologic vectors. More and better data can empower researchers to explore the etiology of these diseases at the intersection of disciplines.”

This legislation was endorsed by: American Alliance for Biomanufacturing, Astera Institute, American Type Culture Collection (ATCC), BioNJ, FutureHouse, Indiana University, Innovative Genomics Institute, Pittsburgh Life Sciences Alliance, Texas Medical Center, Transfyr, Science and Technology Action Committee, and The Foundation for American Innovation.

  • Read the legislation here.
  • Read the one-pager here.

Background:

This legislation:

  • Creates a Biological Data Hub: Directs the Department of Energy (DOE) to establish a centralized platform that provides one-stop access to high-quality biological data. By bringing these datasets together, the platform will also support the development of AI tools that can accelerate scientific discovery and strengthen U.S. competitiveness.
  • Builds Cybersecurity into the Foundation: Requires the DOE to incorporate cybersecurity and access controls from the earliest stages of design and development, with safeguards tailored to the sensitivity of the data to protect against misuse and foreign threats.
  • Establishes Expert Oversight: Creates an advisory board of experts and federal agencies to guide implementation of the platform and ensure biological data is accessible, secure, and useful across sectors.