Sponsors (13)
The bill centralizes U.S. genomic sequencing and storage to advance biodiversity research, data quality, job capacity, and biosecurity while increasing federal costs, raising Indigenous privacy concerns, and constraining international scientific collaboration.
Researchers gain broad access to comprehensive genomic data from National Park System units, improving biodiversity research and conservation planning.
Creates funded federal jobs and builds capacity at USGS, Smithsonian, and USDA for sequencing, curation, and long-term sample storage.
Improves long-term preservation of biological samples in U.S. repositories and restricts export, keeping materials available for domestic research and strengthening biosecurity oversight.
Taxpayers will face additional federal spending (tens of millions annually) to run sequencing, storage, and management activities.
Public release of genomic data and associated metadata risks exposing sensitive locality and cultural information, raising concerns for Indigenous communities and other locally tied groups.
Requiring U.S.-only storage and restricting export may limit international scientific collaboration and data sharing, potentially excluding legitimate foreign researchers and complicating partnerships.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Creates a DOI/USGS pilot to collect, catalog, and whole‑genome sequence species from National Park System units under existing permitting laws.
Official title: Establish the America's Living Library Project, and for other purposes.
Introduced March 5, 2026 by Todd Young · Last progress March 5, 2026
Creates a pilot program at the Department of the Interior (run through the U.S. Geological Survey) to collect, catalog, and whole‑genome sequence biological samples (animals, plants, fungi, microbes) from selected units of the National Park System. The program must follow applicable permitting and consultation laws and coordinate with other federal agencies and museums for setting priorities and carrying out work. Defines terms used in the program, establishes an office to run it, requires interagency coordination and the use of a high‑priority species list developed with other agencies and the Smithsonian, and directs the Secretary to conduct permitted sampling consistent with conservation and wildlife laws.