Preventing Illegal Laboratories and Protecting Public Health Act of 2025
Summary
The "Preventing Illegal Laboratories and Protecting Public Health Act of 2025" aims to enhance the monitoring and oversight of highly pathogenic agents in the United States. It mandates the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a program requiring distributors of these agents to maintain logbooks of sales, leases, loans, and other transfers. This includes detailed information about purchasers and intended uses.
The bill also calls for a strategic evaluation of high-containment laboratories. This evaluation will be overseen by a designated federal entity and will assess the number, location, security, and risks associated with these labs. The bill further directs the creation of a Public Health Biosafety and Biosecurity Team to serve as a point of contact for state, local, tribal, and territorial agencies.
Finally, the Act requires a feasibility study on establishing a database of high-containment laboratories accessible to relevant officials. The goal is to improve biosafety and biosecurity measures nationwide.
Expected Effects
The Act will likely increase transparency and accountability in the handling of highly pathogenic agents. This will be achieved by requiring detailed record-keeping by distributors.
It will also lead to a more comprehensive understanding of the risks associated with high-containment laboratories. This understanding will be achieved through strategic evaluations and the establishment of national standards.
Ultimately, this act aims to strengthen public health preparedness and prevent the misuse of dangerous biological agents.
Potential Benefits
- Enhanced tracking of highly pathogenic agents, reducing the risk of misuse.
- Improved oversight and safety standards for high-containment laboratories.
- Increased communication and coordination between federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial agencies regarding biosafety and biosecurity.
- Better informed risk assessments related to biological threats.
- Potential for more effective public health responses to outbreaks or bioterrorism events.
Potential Disadvantages
- Increased administrative burden on distributors of pathogenic agents due to logbook requirements.
- Potential for delays in research or legitimate transfers of agents due to stricter regulations.
- Possible costs associated with establishing and maintaining the required electronic logbooks and databases.
- Risk of data breaches or misuse of information collected in the logbooks, despite security provisions.
- Potential for increased bureaucracy and overlap between the new Public Health Biosafety and Biosecurity Team and existing federal agencies.
Constitutional Alignment
The Act appears to align with the US Constitution, particularly the implied powers granted to Congress under Article I, Section 8, to provide for the general welfare and to regulate commerce. The regulation of biological agents and laboratories falls under the umbrella of protecting public health and safety, which is a legitimate government interest.
The Act also does not appear to infringe upon any specific constitutional rights. The logbook requirements and oversight mechanisms are designed to prevent harm and do not unduly restrict individual liberties. The exemption from FOIA requests is consistent with the need to protect sensitive information related to national security and public health.
However, implementation will need to carefully balance the need for security with the protection of individual privacy and due process.
Impact Assessment: Things You Care About ⓘ
This action has been evaluated across 19 key areas that matter to you. Scores range from 1 (highly disadvantageous) to 5 (highly beneficial).