Risky Research Review Act
The Risky Research Review Act would create a new Life Sciences Research Security Board (LSRSB) inside the Executive Branch to review and decide whether federal funding for life sciences research may proceed when the proposed work is deemed high-risk. The Board’s determinations would be binding on federal agencies, and funding for high-risk life sciences research could not be awarded without its approval. The bill also establishes detailed definitions (for terms like high-risk life sciences research, dual-use research of concern, gain-of-function, and high-consequence pathogens), sets out Board membership and ethics rules, requires attestation and disclosure from funding applicants, and lays out enforcement, oversight, and funding provisions. In short, the Act inserts a centralized, independent review layer aimed at preventing the funding of life sciences work that could pose public health or national security risks, while increasing transparency and accountability through congressional oversight and GAO audits. Potential impacts include tighter control over federal life sciences funding, greater biosafety and biosecurity safeguards, and additional compliance burdens on universities, research institutions, and biotech companies. The process could slow funding decisions for certain projects and require substantial information sharing with the Board, including information that may be classified. It also creates mechanisms to update the list of high-risk areas (via Board majority votes) and to monitor changes in ongoing research, with formal consequences for noncompliance.
Key Points
- 1Establishment of the Life Sciences Research Security Board (LSRSB) as an independent executive-branch entity to review and approve (or deny) federal funding for proposed high-risk life sciences research. The Board’s determinations are binding on agencies.
- 2Definitions and scope, including: high-risk life sciences research; dual-use research of concern; gain-of-function research; high-consequence pathogens; select agents or toxins; and related terms. The Board can also identify additional categories of high-risk research and publish them in the Federal Register.
- 3Board composition and appointment rules: 9 members appointed by the President (not more than two 4-year terms) including an Executive Director (who chairs the Board), 5 nongovernmental life science scientists, 2 nongovernmental national security experts, and 1 nongovernmental biosafety expert. Strict conflicts-of-interest and ethics provisions, accelerated security clearances, and limits on agency staff overlap.
- 4Mandatory pre-award review and attestation: Agencies may not award high-risk life sciences funding without Board approval. Applicants must attest to whether the project is high-risk and disclose funding sources if active research involves select agents or toxins. The Board can request additional information and must be notified prior to award.
- 5Enforcement and oversight: The bill provides for suspension and debarment for false attestations or noncompliance, referrals to inspectors general, and ongoing congressional oversight by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and the House Energy and Commerce Committee. GAO audits are prescribed, and the Board has authority to publish updates and to compel information from agencies.