H.R. 7653: Biodefense Diplomacy Enhancement Act

The bill titled "Biodefense Diplomacy Enhancement Act" aims to improve international cooperation on issues related to biodefense, biosecurity, and biotechnology. Here’s a breakdown of its main provisions:

Enhancement of Diplomacy in Biodefense

The Secretary of State is tasked with advancing U.S. foreign policy to enhance collaboration with allies and partners in the areas of biodefense, biosecurity, and biotechnology. This includes:

• Fostering closer cooperation with NATO on biodefense policies.
• Strengthening the ability of NATO forces to respond to biological threats.
• Encouraging adherence to high safety and security standards in biological research among NATO member states.

Policy Development and NATO Cooperation

The bill calls for the Secretary of State to work with NATO allies to:

• Prioritize biodefense policy development within NATO, specifically regarding biotechnology and biosurveillance.
• Identify opportunities to improve NATO's biodefense capabilities.
• Consider updates to NATO's Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Defence Policy.

Collaboration with Allies

The U.S. will seek to:

• Explore partnership opportunities with major non-NATO allies in biodefense and biosecurity.
• Create unified export control policies regarding biotechnology items that could be misused.
• Promote adherence to high safety standards in biological research among allies.
• Collaborate to enforce the Biological Weapons Convention.

Strategy Development

The Secretary of State will develop two key strategies:

• NATO Biodefense Strategy - This will address:
• Current cooperation and capability gaps between the U.S. and NATO in biodefense efforts.
• Recommendations to enhance these capabilities.
• International Cooperation Strategy - This will include:
• Proposals for expanding collaboration on security matters related to biotechnology.
• Assessing the effectiveness of export controls for biotechnology.

Reporting Requirements

The Secretary of State must provide congressional committees with:

• A comprehensive report outlining the strategies developed within 270 days of the bill's enactment, which may be unclassified with a possible classified annex.
• A briefing on significant biotechnology and biosecurity developments affecting U.S. national security within 90 days post-enactment.

Definitions

The bill clarifies several terms used within its provisions:

• Biodefense: Actions to counter biological threats and prepare for biological incidents.
• Biosecurity: Measures aimed at preventing the loss or misuse of biological materials.
• Biosurveillance: The process of monitoring biological threats affecting various aspects of health.
• Biotechnology: The use of biological processes for various applications.

Relevant Companies

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