Nucleic Acid Standards for Biosecurity Act

This bill focuses on making DNA/RNA synthesis safer. It directs the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to research and set clear best practices and technical standards for screening orders, so dangerous sequences are flagged more accurately and securely. This includes better testing, strong security and access controls, and ways to measure whether the screening actually works. It also updates federal biosecurity planning to cover risks from artificial intelligence in engineering biology and biomanufacturing.

NIST must bring together a stakeholder group—industry, universities, nonprofits, and customers—to agree on priorities, update best practices for screening purchases of synthetic DNA/RNA, and create roadmaps to guide the work. A report to Congress is due within 18 months of the group’s first meeting. The bill authorizes $5 million per year for 2026 through 2030 to support this effort at NIST.

• Who is affected: Companies that make or sell synthetic DNA/RNA, universities, nonprofits, and customers who order these materials.
• What changes: Stronger screening standards and guidance; a stakeholder group to set and update best practices; evaluation methods to see if screening works; inclusion of AI-related risks in biosecurity planning.
• When: Report due 18 months after the stakeholder group’s first meeting; funding runs from fiscal years 2026–2030.