S.Amdt. 2584

SA 2584. Mr. YOUNG (for himself and Mr. Padilla) submitted an
amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 4638, to
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2025 for military activities
of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for
defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military
personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which
was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

At the appropriate place in title X, insert the following:

SEC. __. ASSESSMENT OF BIOTECHNOLOGY CAPABILITIES OF
ADVERSARIES OF THE UNITED STATES.

(a) In General.--Not later than 120 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall
seek to enter into an agreement with a federally funded
research and development center to conduct an assessment
relating to biotechnology and provide recommendations to the
Secretary.
(b) Agreement Elements.--Under an agreement between the
Secretary and a federally funded research and development
center under this section, the center shall agree--
(1) to conduct an assessment of--
(A) scientific topics relating to biotechnology;
(B) scientific capabilities of potential adversaries of the
United States, such as China, Iran, and Russia, relating to
biotechnology; and
(C) the current gaps and future scientific and
technological needs for adversaries of the United States to
be successful with respect to biotechnology capabilities; and
(2) to develop recommendations with respect to useful
indications of any advancement of such adversaries regarding
such capabilities.
(c) Responsibilities of Secretary.--Under an agreement
between the Secretary and a federally funded research and
development center under this section, the Secretary shall
agree--
(1) to appoint appropriate Department of Defense employees
as liaisons to the center to support the timely conduct of
the assessment described in subsection (b)(1);
(2) to provide the center with access to materials relevant
to the conduct of such assessment, consistent with the
protection of sources and methods and other critically
sensitive information; and
(3) to ensure that appropriate members and staff of the
center have the necessary security clearances, obtained in an
expedited manner, to conduct such assessment.
(d) Report.--
(1) In general.--If the Secretary enters into an agreement
with a federally funded research and development center under
this section, not later than October 1, 2025, the Secretary
shall submit to the congressional defense committees and the
National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology a
report that includes the findings and recommendations of the
center developed pursuant to the assessment described in
subsection (b)(1).
(2) Form of report.--The report under paragraph (1) shall
be submitted in unclassified form, but may contain a
classified annex.
(3) Transmittal to other department entities.--The
Secretary shall transmit to relevant offices of the
Department of Defense, including the offices of the Under
Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, the
Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, the
Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, the Under Secretary of
Defense for Intelligence and Security, and the Office of Net
Assessment, a copy of the report under paragraph (1).
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