Congress·In Committee·H.R. 8981
SCALE Biology Act
Engineering Biology: New Research and Standards Program
Legislative Progress
House
Could go either way
Bipartisan support and a focus on national security give the bill a chance, but it must still clear several committee hurdles.
Key Points
- This bill creates a new program at the National Institute of Standards and Technology to study biological engineering and manufacturing. It focuses on creating standard ways to measure and test biological materials so different companies and labs can work together more easily.
- The program aims to help American companies compete globally in the biological technology industry. It will provide researchers with access to advanced equipment and facilities to test new biological products and technologies.
- Safety and security are major goals of the plan. The research will help create guidelines to prevent the misuse of biological materials and ensure that new technologies do not harm people or the environment.
- The bill approves 348 million dollars in funding over five years starting in 2026. This money will support research at government labs, universities, and through partnerships with private businesses.
Impact Analysis
Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.
Milestones
2 milestones2 actions
May 21, 2026
Referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
May 21, 2026
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
SCALE Biology Act
Bill NumberHR 8981
Congress119th Congress
ChamberHouse of Representatives
Latest ActionReferred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
Data Sources
Sponsor
Cosponsors
(3)D: 1R: 2
Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.