America’s Living Library Act
National Parks: Mapping Wildlife DNA
This bill is currently in the early stages of the legislative process and has been sent to several House committees for review. It is actively moving as it awaits further study by these groups. There are no upcoming votes scheduled at this time.
Part of: story →Companion bill: Sen. Young and Sen. Padilla Push Bipartisan Bill to Map DNA of All Wildlife in National Parks →Legislative Progress
It has bipartisan support and a clear scientific goal, but it requires significant new spending which often faces hurdles in a divided Congress.
Key Points
- The bill creates a project to collect and map the DNA of animals, plants, and fungi found in National Parks. This living library will help scientists understand the genetics of American wildlife and find better ways to protect nature.
- The project starts at five parks and expands to 20 more within two years. Experts will choose these parks based on their unique environments and how much they can teach us about different species.
- All the genetic information will go into a public database for researchers to use. However, the government will keep specific locations secret to protect rare animals and plants from people who might want to harm or steal them.
- The bill sets strict rules to keep the physical samples and data safe within the United States. It also prevents foreign groups from controlling the project or accessing sensitive information before it is ready for the public.
- The program is expected to cost about $28 million in its first year and grow to over $90 million annually by 2030. It will be run by the U.S. Geological Survey in partnership with the Smithsonian and other agencies.
Impact Analysis
Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.
Milestones
Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture, House Administration, and Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in House
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Votes
No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.
News
No related news coverage found for this legislation yet.
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
America’s Living Library Act
Data Sources
Sponsor
Cosponsors
(4)Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.