Establishes an independent Life Sciences Research Security Board that must approve federal funding for high-risk life sciences research, such as work that could make a dangerous pathogen more transmissible or deadly.

Official title: Risky Research Review Act

Next stop Senate floor: awaiting a vote

Timeline each lane is a chamber; dates pull from congress.gov actions

Senate

Introduced 05-MAR-2025

Referred 05-MAR-2025

Approved by committee 30-JUL-2025

Reported 17-SEP-2025

On the calendar 17-SEP-2025

Key points

Creates a nine-member Life Sciences Research Security Board, with an Executive Director confirmed by the Senate, to make binding decisions on federal funding for high-risk life sciences research
Requires agencies to certify researchers' attestations about high-risk work and to refer proposals to the Board before awarding funds
Requires the Board to review proposed funding within 120 days and to report to Congress quarterly, and authorizes $30,000,000 per fiscal year for fiscal years 2026 through 2035
Requires federal funding applicants to disclose high-risk research under penalty of perjury and allows suspension or debarment for knowing violations

AI-generated from the Reported to Senate text of 17-SEP-2025 · verify · report an error

Official CRS summary

Covers an older version. The newest CRS summary describes the bill as of "Introduced in Senate" (05-MAR-2025); the text has changed since (Reported to Senate, 17-SEP-2025).

CRS is the Library of Congress's nonpartisan research office. Read it on congress.gov

Committee referrals (1)

Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (Senate)

Policy area

Health

Sponsor Rand Paul (R-KY) Cosponsors · 1

■ 1 D

1 Democrat

Gary C. Peters

congress.gov page Reported to Senate (17-SEP-2025) Introduced in Senate (05-MAR-2025)