Biotechnology Workforce Alignment Act of 2026

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8938 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8938

To direct the Director of the National Science Foundation to carry out
 activities to support biotechnology workforce pathways and alignment
       with Federal research investments, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 20, 2026

  Mr. McCormick (for himself and Mr. Khanna) introduced the following
   bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and
                               Technology

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

To direct the Director of the National Science Foundation to carry out
 activities to support biotechnology workforce pathways and alignment
       with Federal research investments, 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 ``Biotechnology Workforce Alignment
Act of 2026''.

SEC. 2. NSF SUPPORT FOR BIOTECHNOLOGY WORKFORCE PATHWAYS AND ALIGNMENT
              WITH FEDERAL RESEARCH INVESTMENTS.

    (a) Alignment of Biotechnology Workforce Priorities.--
            (1) In general.--The Director, in coordination with the
        heads of relevant Federal agencies, shall carry out activities
        to support the integration of Federal biotechnology research
        investments with workforce development activities.
            (2) Workforce priority areas.--In carrying out paragraph
        (1), the Director shall identify high-demand biotechnology
        workforce areas, including the following:
                    (A) Biomanufacturing and bioprocess engineering.
                    (B) Synthetic biology.
                    (C) Bioinformatics and computational biology.
                    (D) Omics, such as genomics and proteomics.
                    (E) Regulatory science and quality assurance.
                    (F) Such other areas as the Director determines
                appropriate.
    (b) Pathways, Engagement, and Partnerships.--In carrying out this
section, the Director shall carry out the following:
            (1) Support the development of a workforce framework,
        including relating to workforce categories, work roles, and
        competency areas, for biotechnology.
            (2) Disseminate information on, and support educational and
        career pathways with multiple entry and exit points for,
        students and early-career researchers leading to credentials
        and degrees in biotechnology workforce areas.
            (3) Promote participation in internships, apprenticeships,
        cooperative education programs, and other hands-on training
        opportunities.
            (4) Support partnerships among institutions of higher
        education (including community colleges and minority-serving
        institutions), Federal laboratories, nonprofit organizations,
        and private sector entities.
            (5) Disseminate best practices for workforce development
        activities.
    (c) Coordination With Industry.--In carrying out this section, the
Director shall, to the extent practicable, carry out the following:
            (1) Coordinate with private sector entities engaged in
        biotechnology research, development, or manufacturing.
            (2) Support model frameworks for industry-academic
        partnerships.
            (3) Encourage alignment between workforce training programs
        and evolving industry needs.
    (d) Metrics and Evaluation.--The Director shall develop metrics to
assess the following:
            (1) Workforce gaps in biotechnology careers.
            (2) Barriers to entry into biotechnology careers.
            (3) The effectiveness of coordination and partnerships
        under this section.
    (e) Integration With Existing Activities.--The Director shall, to
the extent practicable, carry out this section through integration with
existing National Science Foundation programs and activities.
    (f) Report.--Not later than two years after the date of the
enactment of this Act and biennially thereafter for six years, 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 a report that
includes the following:
            (1) An assessment of workforce gaps in biotechnology
        careers.
            (2) A description of activities carried out under this
        section.
            (3) An evaluation of outcomes associated with workforce
        development activities.
            (4) An assessment of the position of the United States
        biotechnology workforce in maintaining global leadership in
        biotechnology relative to key competitor and near-peer
        countries.
            (5) Recommendations for actions to strengthen Federal
        coordination relating to biotechnology initiatives and
        workforce development activities.
    (g) Definitions.--In this Act:
            (1) Biotechnology.--The term ``biotechnology'' means the
        use of biological systems, organisms, or derivatives thereof to
        develop or manufacture products, including biomanufacturing,
        bioprocess engineering, synthetic biology, genomics,
        proteomics, and computational biology applications.
            (2) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of
        the National Science Foundation.
            (3) Workforce development activities.--The term ``workforce
        development activities'' includes internships, apprenticeships,
        cooperative education, experiential learning, skills-based
        training, and related activities that prepare individuals for
        employment in biotechnology careers.
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