Tom Cotton (R-AR)
Biological Intellectual Property Protection Act of 2025
A Republican bill with 1 Democratic cosponsor · See all 3 cosponsors
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
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
The Biological Intellectual Property Protection Act of 2025 aims to restrict the export of United States intellectual property and sensitive information regarding synthetic biology. It focuses on controlling the transfer of digital sequences of synthetic DNA or RNA designed by humans or artificial intelligence. The bill seeks to prevent foreign entities of concern from accessing this data to modernize their military and intelligence capabilities. To achieve this, it amends the Export Control Reform Act of 2018 to require a license for these specific exports. This measure is intended to address national security threats posed by the systematic exploitation of U.S. data by foreign adversaries.
Yes
- Scored +6
Does this make patent and copyright rules fairer?
The bill aims to secure the ownership and control of synthetic biology designs against foreign exploitation.
- Scored +5
Would business owners be better off under this?
Biotechnology business owners benefit from increased legal protections for their digital intellectual property.
- Scored +3
Does this better protect the country from computer attacks?
The bill protects against the exploitation of sensitive digital biological data which is a form of high-value intelligence.
The opposite
- Scored -1
Does this put more money into scientific research?
The imposition of export licenses may create new regulatory costs for research institutions working with synthetic biology.
- Scored -1
Does this make it easier to run a small business?
The new licensing requirements for digital DNA sequences may create administrative burdens for smaller biotechnology firms.
- Scored -1
Does this make health care easier to get in general?
Export restrictions on biological data could potentially slow the international exchange of research necessary for medical advancement.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Protection of National Security: The bill aims to prevent foreign adversaries from using sensitive data to modernize military and intelligence apparatuses, which poses a direct threat to U.S. national security (Section 2).
-
Prevention of Intellectual Property Theft: By controlling the export of novel synthetic DNA and RNA sequences, the bill seeks to prevent the theft of research and designs belonging to biotechnology entities (Section 2).
-
Mitigation of Dual-Use Technology Risks: The legislation targets the risk that civilian research and capital could be used to support the modernization of the People's Liberation Army (Section 2).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Increased Export Restrictions: The bill will require a license for the export, reexport, or in-country transfer of digital sequences of synthetic DNA or RNA designed by humans or artificial intelligence to foreign entities of concern (Section 3, subsection a).
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 business owners be better off under this? — Biotechnology business owners benefit from increased legal protections for their digital intellectual property.
- Education And Technology
- Does this make patent and copyright rules fairer? — The bill aims to secure the ownership and control of synthetic biology designs against foreign exploitation. Does this put more money into scientific research? — The imposition of export licenses may create new regulatory costs for research institutions working with synthetic biology.
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Does this better protect the country from computer attacks? — The bill protects against the exploitation of sensitive digital biological data which is a form of high-value intelligence.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this make it easier to run a small business? — The new licensing requirements for digital DNA sequences may create administrative burdens for smaller biotechnology firms.
- Healthcare
- Does this make health care easier to get in general? — Export restrictions on biological data could potentially slow the international exchange of research necessary for medical advancement.
- 6/1/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 12/11/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
- 2 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
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.
Ted BuddRepublican · North Carolina
Maggie HassanDemocrat · New Hampshire
David McCormickRepublican · Pennsylvania