Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV)
Preventing Illegal Laboratories and Protecting Public Health Act of 2026
A Democratic bill with 1 Republican cosponsor · See the cosponsor
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
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, titled the "Preventing Illegal Laboratories and Protecting Public Health Act of 2026," establishes oversight for highly pathogenic agents and high-containment laboratories. It requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to implement a logbook system for covered distributors to track the sale, lease, or transfer of specific dangerous agents. Additionally, the bill mandates a strategic evaluation of high-containment laboratories in the United States. A single Federal entity will be tasked with overseeing these evaluations and developing national standards for laboratory operation and maintenance. This entity will also maintain a Public Health Biosafety and Biosecurity Team to assist local and State agencies.
Yes· 3 of 4
- Scored +6
Does this make the country readier for the next outbreak?
The bill enhances biosafety oversight and creates a specialized team to assist local and State agencies with biosafety and biosecurity issues.
- Scored +3
Does this better protect the country from computer attacks?
The bill mandates electronic logbooks and oversight of high-containment laboratories to mitigate biological security risks.
- Scored +2
Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see?
The bill requires a strategic evaluation of high-containment laboratories and a report to Congress on the findings.
The opposite
- Scored -2
Does this make it easier to run a small business?
The bill imposes new administrative logbook and identification requirements on distributors of highly pathogenic agents.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Increased Accountability for Dangerous Materials: By requiring distributors to maintain an electronic logbook of sales, leases, loans, or transfers, the government can track who is receiving highly pathogenic agents and how they intend to use them (Section 2(c)).
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Enhanced Safety Standards: The bill mandates the development of up-to-date national standards for the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of high-containment laboratories (Section 3(b)(2)).
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Improved Communication and Support: The creation of a Public Health Biosafety and Biosecurity Team provides a single point of contact for State, local, Tribal, and territorial agencies to ask questions regarding laboratory biosafety and biosecurity (Section 3(d)(1)).
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Strengthened Oversight: The requirement for a periodic strategic evaluation of high-containment laboratories allows the government to assess risks, capacity, and physical security measures (Section 3(b)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Increased Regulatory Burden on Distributors: Covered distributors must comply with specific logbook requirements, which include collecting detailed information from purchasers such as their name, address, intended use, and signature (Section 2(c)(2)).
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Strict Identification Requirements: To obtain highly pathogenic agents, purchasers must present specific forms of government-issued identification, which may create hurdles for some individuals or entities (Section 2(c)(3)(A)(i)).
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Risk of Criminal Penalties: Purchasers are warned that providing false statements or misrepresentations in the required logbooks can lead to criminal penalties, including fines and imprisonment (Section 2(c)(4)).
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.
- Healthcare
- Does this make the country readier for the next outbreak? — The bill enhances biosafety oversight and creates a specialized team to assist local and State agencies with biosafety and biosecurity issues.
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Does this better protect the country from computer attacks? — The bill mandates electronic logbooks and oversight of high-containment laboratories to mitigate biological security risks.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this make it easier to run a small business? — The bill imposes new administrative logbook and identification requirements on distributors of highly pathogenic agents.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill requires a strategic evaluation of high-containment laboratories and a report to Congress on the findings.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would people in cities be better off under this? — The increased oversight of dangerous biological agents may contribute to overall public safety in populated areas.
- 3/26/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- 1 Cosponsor 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.
Jim BanksRepublican · Indiana