Sponsors (10)
The bill funds a U.S.-based genomic sequencing and specimen-storage program that expands publicly available biodiversity data and creates federal jobs while imposing U.S.-only storage and data-sharing limits, a 10-year sunset, and partnership/governance constraints that raise costs, restrict some collaborations, and create continuity and conflict-of-interest risks.
Researchers, students, and conservationists gain access to publicly searchable whole-genome sequence data for species in selected national parks, enabling new biodiversity, ecological, and biomedical research and teaching.
Scientists, educators, and resource managers benefit from preservation of physical specimens in U.S. repositories (e.g., Smithsonian, USDA), ensuring long-term access for research, verification, and conservation.
The bill provides multi-year federal funding that establishes a new office and authorizes contracts/cooperative agreements, creating federal jobs at USGS and partner agencies and supplying dedicated resources to launch and operate the program.
Taxpayers will fund the program through multi-year appropriations totaling tens of millions, increasing federal spending and fiscal commitments.
Researchers and universities face uncertainty because the program authority sunsets after 10 years, which may limit long-term continuity and predictability for genomic monitoring and related research programs.
Prohibiting export of samples and requiring that storage and processing occur in the U.S. may raise costs, complicate logistics, and limit international scientific collaboration opportunities.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Introduced March 5, 2026 by Todd Young · Last progress March 5, 2026
Creates a 10-year pilot run by the U.S. Geological Survey to collect, whole-genome sequence, catalog, store, and publish genomic data and related metadata for organisms found in selected National Park units. The program must set up an internal office, coordinate with federal partners (including National Park Service, USDA, Smithsonian, and NCBI), follow permitting and consultation laws, protect sensitive locality and personal data, and deliver required plans and reports to Congress on a defined schedule.