Clermont Times

Reps. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH) and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) introduced the bipartisan Elevating Biotechnology Threats Reporting Act on May 1, 2024. This legislation mandates that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), National Security Agency (NSA), and Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) independently report their findings on biosecurity threats to the House and Senate Select Intelligence Committees by June 30, 2025.

The bill requires these agencies to outline their methods for providing biosecurity threat intelligence, including the support from and consultation with outside experts, as well as any gaps that hinder efforts to target, collect, and analyze biotechnology threats.

"As a member of the Intelligence Committee and Chairman of the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, I have been charged with investigating the origins of COVID-19. During the pandemic, the intelligence community was slow to respond to Congress, and Americans received contradictory and confusing information on our understanding of the origins of the virus. This bill would ensure Congress, as Americans’ elected representatives, are fully briefed on the biosecurity intelligence gathering process," said Chairman of the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic Brad Wenstrup, D.P.M. "This legislation will help Congress provide oversight on a crucial area of national health security so lawmakers can rectify areas of needed improvement and bolster American pandemic preparedness."

“From diagnosing diseases to baking bread, biotechnology holds immense potential for advancing human health, agriculture, and environmental sustainability. However, foreign adversaries are using this science to potentially cause ethical and social hazards that can affect many Americans for years to come. The Elevating Biotechnology Threats Reporting Act would require the Intelligence Community to assess biotechnology threats and efforts to combat them. It will be a vital step to protect U.S. interests, improve preparedness, and elevate our response capabilities,” said House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and Chinese Communist Party Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi.

You can read the full bill text here.