H.R. 5191House119th Congress (2025-2027)In Committee

To direct the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering to issue guidance for private entities on demonstrating how biobased products meet Department of Defense requirements, and for other purposes.

AI-Generated Summary

Updated November 23, 2025 at 10:13 PM UTC

This bill directs the Defense Department to provide clear, public instructions for private firms on how to prove that their biobased products satisfy military needs. It also requires an independent review to check whether the DoD’s own requirement‑setting process unfairly leaves out such products, and to suggest fixes if needed. The goal is to encourage the use of environmentally friendly, biologically‑derived products in defense procurement.

Key Provisions

Within one year, the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, working with the military department secretaries, must create and publish guidance that shows private companies how to demonstrate that their biobased products meet DoD requirements.
The Comptroller General must review the DoD’s process for setting requirements to see if it unintentionally blocks biobased products, and report the findings to the congressional defense committees within one year.
If the review finds that the DoD’s processes exclude biobased products, the Comptroller General must include recommendations on how to reduce that exclusion.
The bill defines a “biobased product” as any product made, produced, or developed using living organisms to change materials.

Legislative Activity

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1 earlier action

HouseIntro Referral Latest Action

Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.

Armed Services Committee

September 8, 2025

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

September 8, 2025

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.

Armed Services Committee

September 8, 2025

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued September 8, 2025

119th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 5191

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

September 8, 2025

Mr. Khanna (for himself, Mr. Garamendi, and Mr. Davis of North Carolina) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services

A BILL

To direct the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering to issue guidance for private entities on demonstrating how biobased products meet Department of Defense requirements, and for other purposes.

Establishing biobased product merit guidance

(a)

In general

Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, in coordination with the Secretaries of the military departments (as defined in section 101(a) of title 10, United States Code), shall develop and make publicly available guidance for private entities on how such entities can effectively prove that a biobased product of such entity provides capabilities meeting the requirements of the Department of Defense.

(b)

Analysis

(1)

In general

The Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct an analysis of the process of the Department of Defense for developing requirements to determine if such processes intentionally or unintentionally exclude biobased products.

(2)

Report

Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the congressional defense committees (as defined in section 101(a) of title 10, United States Code) a report on the findings of the analysis conducted under paragraph (1) and, if Comptroller General determines through such analysis that the processes described in such paragraph exclude biobased products, containing recommendations of the Comptroller General to reduce such exclusion.

(c)

Biobased product defined

In this section, the term biobased product means a product manufactured, produced, or developed through the application living organisms to alter living or non-living materials.