119-s738

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 738 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 S. 738

To provide a moratorium on all Federal research grants provided to any 
 institution of higher education or other research institute that is 
 conducting dangerous gain-of-function research.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 February 26, 2025

Mr. Marshall (for himself and Mrs. Blackburn) introduced the following 
 bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, 
 Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

To provide a moratorium on all Federal research grants provided to any 
 institution of higher education or other research institute that is 
 conducting dangerous gain-of-function research.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Dangerous Viral Gain of Function 
Research Moratorium Act''.

SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON FEDERAL RESEARCH GRANTS FOR INSTITUTIONS AND 
 RESEARCH INSTITUTES CONDUCTING DANGEROUS GAIN-OF-FUNCTION 
 RESEARCH.

    (a) 

=== Definitions. ===
-In this section:

    (1) Gain-of-function research.--The term ``gain-of-function 
 research'' means any research that--
        (A) involves the genetic alteration of an organism 
 to change or enhance the organism's biological 
 functions, which change or enhancement may include 
 increased infectivity, transmissibility, pathogenicity, 
 or host range (which is the spectrum of hosts that an 
 organism can infect); or
        (B) may be reasonably anticipated to confer 
 attributes to an organism, such that the organism would 
 have enhanced infectivity, pathogenicity, or 
 transmissibility, or otherwise pose a threat to 
 national security, public safety, or the health of 
 humans, companion animals, or livestock, poultry, 
 seafood and aquaculture species, or game animals.

    (2) Organism.-- The term ``organism'' means an influenza 
 virus, a coronavirus (including a Middle Eastern Respiratory 
 Syndrome

    (MERS) virus, SARS-CoV-1, SARS-CoV-2, or SARS-like 
 viruses), or an agent or toxin on the Select Agents and Toxins 
 List of the Department of Health and Human Services or the 
 Department of Agriculture under part 331 of title 7, Code of 
 Federal Regulations, part 121 of title 9, Code of Federal 
 Regulations, or part 73 of title 42, Code of Federal 
 Regulations, or any synthetic construct of such virus, agent, 
 or toxin.

    (b) Prohibition.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no 
research grants supported by Federal funds may be awarded to 
institutions of higher education, or other research institutes, that 
are conducting gain-of-function research.
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