Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA)
National Security Biotechnology Workforce Training Act
A Democratic bill with 2 Republican cosponsors · See all 2 cosponsors
Last activity — Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, known as the ``National Security Biotechnology Workforce Training Act'', directs the Secretary of Defense to establish a biotechnology training program. The program is intended for members of the covered Armed Forces, civilian employees of the Department of Defense, and certain contractors. Training will focus on biotechnology and other critical or emerging technologies. The Secretary must consult with leadership to ensure training is relevant to specific positions and mission requirements. This training includes information on science, artificial intelligence, and the ethical or legal aspects of biotechnology. The program is scheduled to terminate five years after its establishment.
Yes· 3 of 8
- Scored +2
Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together?
The bill provides specialized, high-tech skill training to members of the Armed Forces, which enhances their professional development.
- Scored +1
Would business owners be better off under this?
The training includes guidance on how the Federal Government purchases and deploys biotechnology, which may benefit relevant contractors.
- Scored +1
Would union members be better off under this?
The training may increase the technical skill sets and value of specialized civilian employees and contractors.
The opposite
- Scored -1
Does this reduce what the federal government spends?
The bill mandates a new, specific training program that requires federal funding for its implementation.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Enhanced Skills for Personnel: The training program targets individuals involved in creating, deploying, or analyzing biotechnologies, as well as those handling research, development, or logistics (Section 2(a)(1)). This could provide personnel with updated knowledge on fundamental science and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and quantum computing (Section 2(c)(1)).
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Access to Expert Knowledge: The Secretary is required to ensure training includes interactive learning with scholars and experts from the private, public, and nonprofit sectors (Section 2(c)(3)).
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Continuous Professional Development: The bill mandates that training programs be updated annually to cover advances in the field and includes requirements for continuing education and refresher training on new science, equipment, and software (Section 2(c)(4) and Section 2(c)(5)).
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Improved Training Quality: The Secretary must establish mechanisms to receive and consider feedback from those participating in the training to improve the program (Section 2(d)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Mandatory Annual Training Requirements: Individuals identified as part of the target group must complete this training on an annual basis (Section 2(c)(2)).
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Workforce Selection Based on Department Needs: The identification of individuals for this training is based on the needs and priorities of the Department of Defense and the relevance to their specific positions (Section 2(b)(1)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together? — The bill provides specialized, high-tech skill training to members of the Armed Forces, which enhances their professional development. Would business owners be better off under this? — The training includes guidance on how the Federal Government purchases and deploys biotechnology, which may benefit relevant contractors. Would union members be better off under this? — The training may increase the technical skill sets and value of specialized civilian employees and contractors.
- Education And Technology
- Does this put more money into scientific research? — The bill promotes the integration of scholars and experts into the workforce training process to advance biotechnology knowledge.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this better protect air, water and wildlife? — The training covers biotechnology applications in the environment which could aid in better environmental management.
- Healthcare
- Does this make health care easier to get in general? — The training includes applications of biotechnology in health which could lead to improved medical capabilities.
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Does this increase the pay, pensions or support veterans receive? — By training members of the covered Armed Forces in critical technologies, the bill enhances their professional capabilities while in service.
- Economy And Finance
- Is this likely to create jobs? — The bill enhances the skills of the current workforce which may support future job stability in biotechnology fields. Does this reduce what the federal government spends? — The bill mandates a new, specific training program that requires federal funding for its implementation.
- 11/17/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 10/17/2025
- Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in House
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Don BaconRepublican · Nebraska
Brian FitzpatrickRepublican · Pennsylvania