This bill, introduced December 11, 2025 by Representative Joe Neguse and referred to the House Committee on Armed Services, would create a Biotechnology Management Office inside the Department of Defense (DoD). The Secretary of Defense must name a senior official with biotechnology experience within 90 days to lead the office. The Secretary must charter and stand up the office within 120 days under the Deputy Secretary of Defense. The office would develop and run a long-term research, development, acquisition, and sustainment roadmap; update Department policies for acquiring and adopting biotechnology products; coordinate with other federal agencies, industry, academia, and international partners; support public-private partnerships and regional innovation ecosystems; identify workforce and training gaps; propose ways to streamline acquisition or regulatory processes; and carry out other tasks the Secretary considers appropriate. The section creating the office would terminate on September 30, 2030. The Secretary must brief congressional defense committees within 30 days after the senior official is named about the office charter and plans for the first year. The bill also amends a 2023 defense law to allow Department of Defense research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E) funds to be used for the bioindustrial manufacturing research, design, and construction activities described in that law.
If enacted, the Department of Defense would have a new office and a named senior official focused on biotechnology matters. The office would coordinate DoD activities related to biotechnology, work with outside partners (industry, universities, other governments), identify training and workforce gaps, and plan long-term research and acquisition activities. The bill allows existing DoD RDT&E funds to be used for certain bioindustrial manufacturing research and related design and construction activity described in the amended law. The office would operate through September 30, 2030, unless further action is taken.
No publicly available information on total costs or new appropriations. The bill does say that funds authorized or otherwise made available to the Department for RDT&E may be used to carry out the specified bioindustrial manufacturing activities, but it does not set or authorize specific dollar amounts.
No publicly available information.
No publicly available information.