The Engineering Biology Readiness Act extends the deadline for annual congressional briefings on the National Biodefense Strategy from March 1, 2025, to five years after the enactment of the 2027 National Defense Authorization Act. The bill requires federal agencies involved in biodefense to analyze current threats and gaps in the nation's preparedness against engineering biology risks, which involve the misuse or accidental release of engineered biological materials. The analysis must examine existing research efforts, regulations, and authorities across relevant departments and agencies, identifying redundancies and weaknesses in biosafety and biosecurity rules. Federal agencies must then provide recommendations for modernizing oversight frameworks, aligning research efforts, establishing safeguards, and proposing necessary legislation and funding estimates to address identified gaps. The analysis will be developed in consultation with industry, academic researchers, and civil society representatives, and submitted to Congress in unclassified form with an optional classified annex.
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