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. This proposal aims to establish a Life Sciences Research Security Board within the Executive Branch to 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 proposed board will evaluate gain-of-function research and studies involving potential pandemic pathogens. Currently, there is insufficient government oversight on life sciences research funding, allowing taxpayer dollars to be spent without appropriate checks. Dr. Paul’s legislation seeks to implement a stringent review process for assessing high-risk research proposals.

Key provisions of the Risky Research Review Act include:

- Establishing an independent Life Sciences Research Security Board to evaluate and issue binding determinations on high-risk life sciences research proposals seeking federal funding.

- Defining high-risk life sciences research as studies with potential dual-use applications or those posing threats to public health, safety, or national security.

- Ensuring board independence by positioning it as an agency within the Executive Branch, consisting of one executive director, five non-governmental scientists, and two national security experts appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate.

- Prohibiting federal agencies from awarding funding for high-risk life sciences research without board approval.

- Requiring a majority vote of board members to approve such research.

- Authorizing the board to compel agencies to provide necessary information and records, including classified information.

- Mandating full disclosure from grant applicants if their research falls under high-risk categories or involves select agents or toxins.

- Enforcing continuous disclosure of subcontracts or subawards with agencies required to submit these disclosures to the board.

- Requiring the board to submit an annual report summarizing determinations and findings related to high-risk life sciences research.

Supporters of the bill have expressed strong endorsements:

“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,” said 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,” stated Jay Bhattacharya, M.D., PH.D., Professor of Health Policy at Stanford University.

Dr. Alina Chan from MIT and Harvard emphasized that “research with pandemic risks must be subject to external and independent oversight.”

Richard H. Ebright from Rutgers University noted that addressing gaps in current US oversight is essential and urgent: “The legislative proposal sets forth an approach that will close gaps with minimal costs.”

Steven Quay of Atossa Therapeutics compared this initiative to historical measures like the 1946 establishment of the Atomic Energy Commission: “COVID was a bipartisan killer; this bill should be strongly supported by both parties.”

Bryce Nickels from Rutgers University highlighted that “the legislation would replace decades of self-regulation with an independent oversight mechanism.”

Meryl Nass commended Senator Paul’s effort: “I highly commend the Senator for this critical effort.”

The bill also received endorsement from Neil Harrison, Ph.D., Columbia University in his personal capacity.