SCALE Biology Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8981 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8981

 To establish in the National Institute of Standards and Technology a
       program of measurement research for engineering biology,
      biomanufacturing, and biometrology, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 21, 2026

Mrs. McClain Delaney (for herself, Mr. Obernolte, Ms. Lofgren, and Mr.
   Moylan) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
              Committee on Science, Space, and Technology

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 To establish in the National Institute of Standards and Technology a
       program of measurement research for engineering biology,
      biomanufacturing, and biometrology, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Standards and Calibration for
American Leadership in Engineering Biology Act'' or the ``SCALE Biology
Act''.

SEC. 2. NIST BIOMETROLOGY LABORATORY PROGRAM.

    (a) Certain Implementation Activities.--Subsection (c) of section 2
of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C.
272) is amended--
            (1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by inserting a
        comma after ``Director'';
            (2) by redesignating paragraphs (22) through (32) as
        paragraphs (23) through (33), respectively; and
            (3) by inserting after paragraph (21) the following new
        paragraph:
            ``(22) perform research to facilitate and support the
        development of a voluntary, consensus-based set of technical
        standards, guidelines, best practices, methodologies,
        procedures, and processes for engineering biology,
        biomanufacturing, biotechnology, and biometrology;''.
    (b) Biometrology Laboratory Program.--The National Institute of
Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 271 et seq.) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating section 36 (15 U.S.C. 271 note) as
        section 37; and
            (2) by inserting after section 35 (15 U.S.C. 278t) the
        following new section:

``SEC. 36. BIOMETROLOGY LABORATORY PROGRAM.

    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary, acting through the Director,
shall establish a program of measurement research for engineering
biology, biomanufacturing, and biotechnology (in this section referred
to as the `biometrology laboratory program').
    ``(b) Purposes.--The purposes of biometrology laboratory program
are the following:
            ``(1) To enable innovation and industrial competitiveness
        in engineering biology, biomanufacturing, and biotechnology.
            ``(2) To improve the accuracy, interoperability, and
        reliability of biological data and materials.
            ``(3) To support the safe, secure, and responsible
        development and application of biological technologies across
        sectors to support economic and national security.
    ``(c) Activities.--In carrying out the biometrology laboratory
program, the Director shall carry out the following:
            ``(1) Support basic measurement science and technology
        research for engineering biology, biomanufacturing, and
        biotechnology to advance the following:
                    ``(A) Measurement technologies to support
                foundational understanding of the mechanisms of
                conversion of DNA information into cellular function.
                    ``(B) Technologies for measurement of biomolecular
                components and related systems used for engineering
                biology, biomanufacturing, and biotechnology, including
                biomolecular components and related systems pertinent
                to commercial scale and distributed manufacturing of
                products.
                    ``(C) Tools, technical standards, guidelines, best
                practices, methodologies, procedures, and processes for
                biological data.
                    ``(D) Life cycle and sustainability assessments of
                engineering biology, biomanufacturing, and
                biotechnology products.
                    ``(E) The development of technical standards,
                guidelines, best practices, methodologies, procedures,
                and processes that can inform and address biorisk,
                biosafety, and biosecurity concerns.
                    ``(F) Other areas of measurement science and
                technology research determined by the Director to be
                critical to the development and deployment of
                biometrology.
            ``(2) Inform and expand the development of measurements
        infrastructure needed to develop technical standards to
        establish interoperability and facilitate commercial
        development of the following:
                    ``(A) Biometrology technology.
                    ``(B) Engineering biology, biomanufacturing, and
                biotechnology.
            ``(3) Seek to convene representatives of industry,
        institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations,
        Federal laboratories, and other Federal agencies engaged in
        engineering biology, biomanufacturing, and biotechnology
        research and development to develop coordinated technical
        roadmaps for authoritative measurement of the molecular
        components of the cell.
            ``(4) Provide access to user facilities with advanced or
        unique equipment, services, materials, and other resources to
        industry, institutions of higher education, nonprofit
        organizations, and Federal, State, and Tribal government
        agencies to perform research and testing.
            ``(5) Establish or expand, as appropriate, collaborative
        partnerships or consortia with other Federal agencies engaged
        in engineering biology, biomanufacturing, and biotechnology
        research and development, institutions of higher education,
        Federal laboratories, and industry to advance engineering
        biology, biomanufacturing, and biotechnology applications.
            ``(6) Support graduate and postgraduate research and
        training in biometrology.
            ``(7) Establish and periodically update, as appropriate,
        common definitions and terminology pertaining to engineering
        biology, biomanufacturing, biotechnology, and the bioeconomy,
        and maintain a publicly available lexicon of such definitions
        and terminology.
            ``(8) Support extramural research, as appropriate, that
        helps the Institute in advancing measurement science,
        standards, and guidelines for biometrology, engineering
        biology, biomanufacturing, and biotechnology.
            ``(9) In coordination with the heads of relevant Federal
        agencies, as appropriate, identify where technical standards,
        standardized assessments, or other governance pathways are
        needed to manage risks and support the commercialization of
        novel engineering biology, biomanufacturing, and biotechnology.
    ``(d) Engineering Biology Foundry.--In carrying out the
biometrology laboratory program, and in partnership with industry,
institutions of higher education, and nonprofit organizations, the
Director shall support the development of engineering biology related
foundries to improve measurement assurance and make the engineering of
living measurement systems more predicable, scalable, and routine.
    ``(e) Outreach.--In carrying out the activities under subsection
(c), the Director shall seek input from other Federal agencies,
institution of higher education, nonprofit organizations, and industry,
on an ongoing basis, to help inform research and development
priorities, including through workshops and other multistakeholder
activities.
    ``(f) Coordination.--
            ``(1) Federal departments and agencies.--In carrying out
        the activities under subsection (c), the Director shall
        coordinate with the heads of appropriate Federal departments
        and agencies, including the Executive Office of the President
        and the National Engineering Biology Research and Development
        Initiative established pursuant to section 10402 of the
        Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation Act (42
        U.S.C. 19132).
            ``(2) Manufacturing usa program.--The Director shall
        coordinate the activities carried out pursuant to subsection
        (c) with the Manufacturing USA Program, as the Director
        considers appropriate, to support United States leadership in
        biomanufacturing.
            ``(3) Biomass feedstock utilization.--The Director, as
        practicable and appropriate, shall support efforts relating to
        the coordination and development of biomass feedstock
        utilization with the Secretary of Energy and the Biomass
        Research and Development Board established pursuant to section
        9008 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7
        U.S.C. 8108).
    ``(g) Controls.--In carrying out the biometrology laboratory
program, the Director shall ensure proper security controls are in
place to protect sensitive information, as appropriate.
    ``(h) Report.--Not later than three years after the date of the
enactment of this section, the Director shall submit to the Committee
on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and
the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate,
and make publicly available on the website of the Institute, a report
regarding the implementation by the Institute of the biometrology
laboratory program.
    ``(i) Implementation Plan.--Not later than the end of the first
fiscal year after the date of the enactment of this section, the
Director shall submit to the Committee on Science, Space, and
Technology and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate, and
make available on a public website of the Institute, a plan to carry
out the biometrology laboratory program, including the following:
            ``(1) A plan for establishing the Biometrology Laboratory
        Program within the Institute as described by this section,
        including in relation to the Institute's Material Measurement
        Lab and Physical Measurement Lab.
            ``(2) A plan of how the Institute will carry out the
        biometrology laboratory program's activities under section.
            ``(3) A plan of how to leverage existing Institute
        infrastructure and expertise to drive international cooperation
        for the advancement of voluntary consensus standards.
    ``(j) Authorizations.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
the Director to carry out this section as follows:
            ``(1) $55,000,000 for fiscal year 2026.
            ``(2) $60,000,000 for fiscal year 2027.
            ``(3) $70,000,000 for fiscal year 2028.
            ``(4) $78,000,000 for fiscal year 2029.
            ``(5) $85,000,000 for fiscal year 2030.
    ``(k) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) In general.--The following terms have the meanings
        given such terms, respectively, in section 10401 of the
        Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation Act (42
        U.S.C. 19131):
                    ``(A) Bioeconomy.
                    ``(B) Biological data.
                    ``(C) Biomanufacturing.
                    ``(D) Biomass.
                    ``(E) Biometrology.
                    ``(F) Biorisk.
                    ``(G) Biosafety.
                    ``(H) Biosecurity.
                    ``(I) Biotechnology.
                    ``(J) Engineering biology.
            ``(2) Additional terms.--
                    ``(A) Director.--The term `Director' means the
                Director of the National Institute of Standards and
                Technology.
                    ``(B) Institute.--The term `Institute' means the
                National Institute of Standards and Technology.
                    ``(C) Institution of higher education.--The term
                `institution of higher education' has the meaning given
                such term in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act
                of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)).
                    ``(D) Nonprofit organization.--The term `nonprofit
                organization' means an organization described in
                section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986
                and exempt from tax under section 501(a) of such code.
                    ``(E) Secretary.--The term `Secretary' means the
                Secretary of Commerce.
                    ``(F) Technical standard.--The term `technical
                standard' has the meaning given such term in section
                12(d)(5) of the National Technology Transfer and
                Advancement Act of 1995 (15 U.S.C. 272 note).''.

SEC. 3. TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.

    (a) Repeal.--Section 10221 of the Research and Development,
Competition, and Innovation Act (42 U.S.C. 18931) is repealed, and the
item relating to such section in the table of contents in sections 1
and 10000 for such Act is struck.
    (b) Definitions.--
            (1) Global definitions.--Section 10002 of the Research and
        Development, Competition, and Innovation Act (42 U.S.C. 18901)
        is amended--
                    (A) by striking paragraphs (4) and (6); and
                    (B) by redesignating--
                            (i) paragraph (5) as paragraph (4); and
                            (ii) paragraphs (7) through (30) as
                        paragraphs (5) through (28), respectively.
            (2) Title definitions.--Section 10401 of the Research and
        Development, Competition, and Innovation Act (42 U.S.C. 19131)
        is amended--
                    (A) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and (2) as
                paragraphs (10) and (11), respectively; and
                    (B) by inserting before paragraph (10), as so
                redesignated, the following new paragraphs:
            ``(1) Bioeconomy.--The term `bioeconomy' means the economic
        activity derived from the life sciences, particularly in the
        areas of biotechnology and biomanufacturing, including
        industries, products, services, and the workforce.
            ``(2) Biological data.--The term `biological data' means
        the information, including associated descriptors, derived from
        the structure, function, or process of a biological system(s)
        that is measured, collected, or aggregated for analysis.
            ``(3) Biomanufacturing.--The term `biomanufacturing' means
        the use of biological systems, including the use of biomass as
        a feedstock, to produce commercially important goods and
        services.
            ``(4) Biomass.--The term `biomass' means any material of
        biological origin that is available on a renewable or recurring
        basis.
            ``(5) Biorisk.--The term `biorisk' means the effect of
        uncertainty expressed by the combination of the consequences
        and the associated likelihood of occurrence that a biological
        event will adversely affect the health of humans, nonhuman
        animals, or the environment.
            ``(6) Biosafety.--The term `biosafety' means the practices,
        controls, and containment infrastructure that reduce the risk
        of unintended exposure to, contamination with, release of, or
        harm from pathogens, toxics, and biological materials.
            ``(7) Biosecurity.--The term `biosecurity' means the
        security measures designed to prevent the loss, theft, misuse,
        diversion, unauthorized possession or material introduction, or
        intentional release of pathogens, toxics, biological materials,
        and related information or technology.
            ``(8) Biotechnology.--The term `biotechnology' means
        technology that applies to or is enabled by life sciences
        innovation or product development.
            ``(9) Engineering biology.--The term `engineering biology'
        means the design, construction, or assembly of the components
        of living systems (such as genetics circuits, enzymes, or
        metabolic pathways) to achieve an intended function or
        outcome.''.
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