Web of Biological Data Act of 2026

Key Points

• The Department of Energy would create a centralized data resource called the Web of Biological Data, housed at a National Laboratory chosen through a competitive grant process. This site would serve as a single point of entry for researchers to access biological data from across the federal government.
• The project is designed to make biological data usable for artificial intelligence. Data would be formatted specifically for AI model training, with interoperability standards developed alongside the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
• The bill includes cybersecurity protections and restricts data access for adversarial countries. Biannual independent cybersecurity assessments would be required, and tiered access controls would protect sensitive biological data.
• A 12-member advisory board made up of industry, academic, government, and National Laboratory representatives would guide the project. At least one member must be an expert in biosecurity research.
• Congress would authorize about $500 million total: $340 million for the first three years and $80 million per year for two more years after Phase I is complete. The money covers both the data platform and a separate research and development program for biological data science.
• Existing privacy protections for biological data would remain fully in place. The bill explicitly states it does not override requirements related to informed consent, human-subject protections, or rules against unauthorized disclosure.