Todd Young (R-IN)
Web of Biological Data Act of 2026
A Republican bill with 2 Democratic cosponsors · See all 3 cosponsors
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
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 Web of Biological Data Act of 2026 requires the Secretary of Energy to grant a National Laboratory the task of creating a centralized data resource called the "Web of Biological Data." This resource aims to help biological research by using advanced computational methods like artificial intelligence. It will act as a single point of entry for researchers to access biological data, especially data funded by the Federal Government. The bill establishes a two-phase rollout plan, an advisory board, and a research and development program for data science. It also mandates cybersecurity safeguards and independent assessments to protect the data.
Yes· 3 of 29
- Scored +8
Does this put more money into scientific research?
Directly funds a new national resource and R&D program for biological data science.
- Scored +7
Does this put more money into medical research?
Directly authorizes millions in funding for biological data science and R&D.
- Scored +6
Does this better protect the country from computer attacks?
Mandates tiered cybersecurity safeguards and biannual independent assessments for critical biological data.
The opposite
- Scored -5
Does this reduce what the federal government spends?
The bill mandates the creation of a new resource and authorizes substantial appropriations.
- Scored -2
Does this reduce what the federal government owes?
The bill authorizes significant new federal spending totaling hundreds of millions of dollars.
- Scored -2
Does this make the government pay for what it commits to?
Increases government expenditure without an identified funding source other than appropriations.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Improved Biological Research: By creating a single point of entry for researchers to access various sources of biological data, the bill facilitates biological research through artificial intelligence and advanced computational methods (Section 2(b)(1)(A) and 2(b)(2)(A)).
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Better Data Quality: The Web will include metadata and metrics to show data quality, specifically regarding its completeness, interoperability, and usability (Section 2(b)(2)(B)).
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Advanced Data Science: The bill establishes a research and development program to improve how biological data is generated, stored, managed, and curated (Section 2(b)(1)(B)).
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Secure Data Handling: To prevent the misuse of data, the bill requires tiered cybersecurity safeguards, access controls, and biannual independent cybersecurity assessments (Section 2(b)(2)(C), 2(f)(2)(G), and 2(g)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Restricted Access: The Secretary may limit access to the data for countries determined to be adversarial or those that do not participate in reciprocal data sharing (Section 2(e)(1)(D)).
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Financial Costs: The bill authorizes the appropriation of significant government funds, including $30,000,000 for research and development and $310,000,000 for Phase I (Section 2(k)(1) and 2(k)(2)).
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 students be better off under this? — Provides researchers and students with a centralized, high-quality resource for biological data. Would business owners be better off under this? — Biotech company owners benefit from improved data accessibility and AI-driven research. Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this? — Provides opportunities for young scientists and data researchers. Would billionaires be better off under this? — General health research benefits. Would children be better off under this? — Advances in biological research may lead to improved pediatric treatments. Would high-income households be better off under this? — General healthcare improvements from advanced biological research. Would people with substantial wealth be better off under this? — General health research benefits. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — Publicly funded research advances may eventually lower costs of healthcare. Would people in middle age be better off under this? — General health research benefits all adult demographics. Would middle-income households be better off under this? — General healthcare improvements from advanced biological research. Would people over 65 be better off under this? — Potential for breakthroughs in age-related biological research. Would the very wealthiest people be better off under this? — General health research benefits.
- Healthcare
- Does this put more money into medical research? — Directly authorizes millions in funding for biological data science and R&D. Does this make the country readier for the next outbreak? — A centralized web of biological data is critical for rapid response and analysis during emerging pandemics. Does this lower the price of prescription medicines? — Accelerated biological research via AI may speed up the development of more affordable therapies. Does this make health care easier to get in general? — Long-term improvements in biological research generally lead to better health outcomes and access to treatments. Does this do more about addiction and overdose deaths? — Advanced biological data analysis may aid in developing better treatments for addiction.
- Education And Technology
- Does this put more money into scientific research? — Directly funds a new national resource and R&D program for biological data science. Does this give people more control over their personal data? — Explicitly protects privacy and informed consent requirements for biological data.
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Does this better protect the country from computer attacks? — Mandates tiered cybersecurity safeguards and biannual independent assessments for critical biological data. Does this strengthen ties with allied countries? — Encourages partnerships with international allies for biological data sharing. Does this favour talking over confrontation abroad? — Reciprocal data sharing agreements can strengthen diplomatic ties with scientific partners. Does this put more money into stopping terrorism? — Biosecurity safeguards help protect against the misuse of biological data for harmful purposes.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — Creates a centralized point of entry for federally funded data, improving transparency and access. Does this protect people from being watched or searched? — Maintains existing privacy and human-subject protection requirements for hosted data. Does this give the federal government more power? — Expands the role of the Secretary of Energy in managing national biological data resources.
- Economy And Finance
- Is this likely to grow the economy? — Facilitating biological research through AI can lead to breakthroughs that drive economic growth in the biotech sector. Does this make it easier to run a small business? — Centralized data access reduces the cost and barrier to entry for small biotech firms to conduct research. Is this likely to create jobs? — Funding for research and development programs typically creates high-tech jobs in data science and biotechnology. Does this reduce what the federal government spends? — The bill mandates the creation of a new resource and authorizes substantial appropriations. Does this make the government pay for what it commits to? — Increases government expenditure without an identified funding source other than appropriations. Does this reduce what the federal government owes? — The bill authorizes significant new federal spending totaling hundreds of millions of dollars.
- 6/11/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
- 3 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.
Andy KimDemocrat · New Jersey
Alex PadillaDemocrat · California
Mike RoundsRepublican · South Dakota