Ro Khanna (D-CA)
America’s Living Library Act
A Democratic bill with 2 Republican cosponsors · See all 6 cosponsors
Last activity — Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture, House Administration, and Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
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 establishes the America's Living Library Project, a pilot program led by the Secretary of the Interior. The program aims to collect and sequence genomic data from various species found within the National Park System. It includes the creation of a new program office within the United States Geological Survey to manage the initiative. Selected National Park units will serve as the primary locations for this biological data collection and long-term sample storage. The program involves coordination between multiple federal agencies and specific scientific institutions. The authority for this project is set to terminate 10 years after its enactment.
Yes· 3 of 12
- Scored +7
Does this put more money into scientific research?
The bill authorizes significant funding for genomic sequencing, data storage, and sample preservation.
- Scored +6
Does this better protect air, water and wildlife?
The bill establishes a project to collect and preserve genomic data from species within the National Park System.
- Scored +5
Does this better protect the country from computer attacks?
The bill mandates specific cybersecurity and access safeguards for the genomic database.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Scientific Advancement through Data Access: The bill establishes a publicly available genomic database containing sequence data, annotations, and metadata, which can support scientific research (Section 2(d)(1)(B)).
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Protection of Biological Resources: The program includes requirements to evaluate species to identify those that need long-term storage, specifically targeting "high-priority species" based on ecological, economic, or cultural value (Section 2(g)(2)(B)).
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Safety and Risk Mitigation: The bill mandates that any microbial or pathogen material requiring enhanced biosafety must be stored in separate, access-controlled collections with appropriate containment (Section 2(g)(2)(B)(iv)).
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Support for Domestic Innovation: The implementation plan includes creating pathways for United States-based entities to access data for the development and training of artificial intelligence models (Section 2(i)(3)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Security and Privacy Risks: While the database excludes personally identifiable information, the Secretary has the discretion to withhold sensitive collection locality information to protect personnel and resources (Section 2(d)(1)(B)).
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Potential for Conflict of Interest: The bill recognizes the need to develop specific mechanisms to vet and prevent conflicts of interest when receiving in-kind contributions from biotechnology companies (Section 2(e)(3)(C)(ii)).
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.
- Education And Technology
- Does this put more money into scientific research? — The bill authorizes significant funding for genomic sequencing, data storage, and sample preservation. Does this get reliable internet to more people? — The bill includes provisions for bulk export application programming interfaces for data access.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this better protect air, water and wildlife? — The bill establishes a project to collect and preserve genomic data from species within the National Park System. Does this invest in rural communities? — The program utilizes various National Park units which may include rural areas for biological data collection.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this protect people from being watched or searched? — The bill explicitly mandates the withholding of personally identifiable information from the public database. Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill requires public notice of selected National Park units and the submission of methodological reports to Congress.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would Native Americans be better off under this? — The bill requires the Secretary to engage in consultation with Indian Tribes during program implementation. Would business owners be better off under this? — The bill provides data access pathways for domestic companies to develop artificial intelligence models.
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Does this better protect the country from computer attacks? — The bill mandates specific cybersecurity and access safeguards for the genomic database.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this make it easier to run a small business? — The bill creates pathways for United States-based entities to access genomic data for AI development.
- Healthcare
- Does this make health care easier to get in general? — The bill identifies species with biomedical relevance for long-term genomic storage.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Is this likely to lift people out of poverty? — The bill identifies species with economic value for long-term research and preservation.
- 6/18/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 5/21/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 4/16/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 3/19/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 3/5/2026
- Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture, House Administration, and Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 2 Cosponsors 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.
Robert AderholtRepublican · Alabama
Jake AuchinclossDemocrat · Massachusetts
Stephanie BiceRepublican · Oklahoma
Donald DavisDemocrat · North Carolina
Chrissy HoulahanDemocrat · Pennsylvania
Eugene VindmanDemocrat · Virginia