Sec. 244. Authority for Secretary of Defense to enter into an agreement for an assessment of biotechnology capabilities of adversaries of the United States
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Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall seek to enter into an agreement with a federally funded research and development center to conduct an assessment related to biotechnology and provide recommendations to the Secretary. Under an agreement between the Secretary and a federally funded research and development center under this section, the center shall agree to— conduct an assessment of— scientific topics related to biotechnology; scientific capabilities of potential adversaries of the United States, such as China, Iran, and the Russian Federation, related to biotechnology; and the current gaps and future scientific and technological needs for adversaries of the United States to be successful with respect to biotechnology capabilities; and develop recommendations with respect to useful indications of any advancement of such adversaries regarding such capabilities.
Under an agreement between the Secretary and a federally funded research and development center under this section, the Secretary shall agree to— appoint appropriate Department of Defense employees as liaisons to the center to support the timely conduct of the assessment described in subsection (b)(1); provide the center with access to materials relevant to the conduct of such assessment, consistent with the protection of sources and methods and other critically sensitive information; and ensure that appropriate members and staff of the center have the necessary clearances, obtained in an expedited manner, to conduct such assessment.
If the Secretary enters into an agreement with a federally funded research and development center under this section, not later than October 1, 2025, the Secretary shall submit to the congressional defense committees and the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology a report that includes the findings and recommendations of the center developed pursuant to the assessment described in subsection (b)(1). The report under paragraph
(1)shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may contain a classified annex. The Secretary shall transmit to relevant offices of the Department of Defense, including the offices of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security, and the Office of Net Assessment, a copy of the report under paragraph (1).