H.R. 9307: Web of Biological Data Act of 2026

This bill would direct the Secretary of Energy to create a centralized federal biological data hub called the Web of Biological Data. Its purpose is to make it easier for researchers to find, access, and use biological data, including for advanced computing methods such as artificial intelligence.

What the government would set up

Within 180 days of enactment, the Department of Energy would have to award a grant to a National Laboratory to build the Web. The bill also requires a research and development program focused on better ways to generate, store, organize, and manage biological data.

What the Web would do

The Web would act as a single entry point for biological data, especially data funded by the federal government. It could either host data directly or connect users to existing databases. It would also include:

• information about data quality, such as how usable, interoperable, and complete the data is;
• tiered cybersecurity protections and access controls based on sensitivity;
• tools and interfaces designed to make searching and analysis easier;
• formats and standards intended to make data more useful for AI model training.

How it would be built

The Director of the National Laboratory selected to run the project could enter into data-sharing agreements with federal agencies, work with private companies and philanthropic groups on cost-sharing, and build partnerships with academia, industry, and international allies. The bill also directs collaboration with agencies and institutions such as the National Science Foundation’s National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the National Library of Medicine.

Timeline and reports

The bill creates a phased rollout:

• Within 1 year: an implementation plan must be sent to Congress, covering how the program will work, what data will be acquired, cybersecurity planning, and partnership plans.
• Within 2 years: an initial version of the Web must be tested, focused on selected data types and designed with security and usability features.
• Within 5 years: the Web must be expanded for broader use by U.S. researchers and support more data types.

The Director would also have to provide reports to कांग्रेस within 2 years and then annually, covering progress, data stored, partnerships, user engagement, security issues, and future plans. An outside entity would be contracted to perform cybersecurity assessments every two years.

Oversight

An advisory board would be created to oversee implementation. It would have 12 members total, including representatives from industry, academia, national laboratories, and federal agencies. The Director of the project would chair the board.

Funding

The bill authorizes appropriations of:

• $30 million for the first 3 years for the research and development program;
• $310 million for the first 3 years for building the Web;
• $80 million per year for 2 additional years after the initial phase is completed.

Privacy and data protections

The bill says it does not override existing rules on privacy, informed consent, human-subjects protections, data-use limits, or protections against unauthorized disclosure, misuse, or reidentification of biological data. It also includes restrictions on sharing data with certain countries, as determined by the Secretary.

Relevant Companies

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