Bowling Green Today

U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, has introduced the Risky Research Review Act, a proposal to establish a Life Sciences Research Security Board within the Executive Branch. This independent board will oversee funding for gain-of-function research and other high-risk life sciences research that may pose threats to public health, safety, or national security.

The Life Sciences Research Security Board will be responsible for evaluating gain-of-function research and other studies involving potential pandemic pathogens. Currently, there is insufficient government oversight of life sciences research funding, which allows taxpayer dollars to be spent without adequate checks. Dr. Paul’s legislation aims to create a stringent review process for assessing high-risk research proposals.

Key provisions of the Risky Research Review Act include:

- Establishing an Independent Oversight Board: A Life Sciences Research Security Board will evaluate and issue binding determinations on high-risk life sciences research proposals seeking federal funding.

- Defining High-Risk Research: High-risk life sciences research includes studies with potential dual-use applications or those that could threaten public health, safety, or national security.

- Ensuring Board Independence: The board will consist of one executive director, five non-governmental scientists, and two national security experts appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate.

- Restricting Funding Without Approval: Federal agencies cannot award funding for high-risk life sciences research without board approval.

- Mandating Majority Vote: A majority vote of board members is required to approve high-risk life sciences research.

- Empowering the Board: The board can compel agencies to provide necessary information and records, including classified information.

- Demanding Full Disclosure: Grant applicants must declare if their research falls under high-risk categories or involves select agents or toxins.

- Automatic Referral: Positive attestations are automatically referred to the board.

- Continuous Subcontract Disclosure: Agencies must continuously disclose subcontracts or subawards to the board.

- Annual Reporting: The board must submit an annual report summarizing determinations and findings to congressional committees and publish it online.

Supporters of the bill include several prominent figures in public health and science:

“This is a very important bill which when implemented will ensure national security is prioritized when making US life science funding decisions. If we had this bill in place ten years ago we could have prevented the Covid pandemic.” – Dr. Redfield, M.D., Former Director (2018-2021), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

“The Risky Research Review Act is a great step forward toward protecting Americans from dangerous experiments that likely led to the covid pandemic.” – Jay Bhattacharya, M.D., PH.D., Professor of Health Policy, Stanford University

“Research with pandemic risks can result in millions of deaths and trillions in economic damage. It must be subject to external oversight.” – Dr. Alina Chan, molecular biologist at Broad Institute of M.I.T. and Harvard

“I strongly support this legislative proposal as it addresses gaps in current US oversight of research on potential pandemic pathogens.” – Richard H. Ebright, Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Rutgers University

“The Risky Research Review Act is historic...Senator Paul should be commended for his leadership in putting forward this legislation.” – Steven Quay, M.D., PH.D., CEO Atossa Therapeutics

“Senator Paul’s legislation addresses major shortcomings in current guidelines for oversight of high-risk pathogen research.” – Bryce Nickels, Co-Founder Biosafety Now

“Senator Rand Paul has introduced an important new bill for overseeing potentially dangerous gain-of-function research.” – Meryl Nass, M.D.

The bill also has endorsements from Neil Harrison, Ph.D., Columbia University.