U.S. Senators Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), along with Representatives Stephanie Bice (R-OK-5) and Ro Khanna (D-CA-17), have introduced the America’s Living Library Act of 2026. The bipartisan bill aims to direct the Secretary of the Interior to launch a project that will collect, catalog, and sequence genomic information from animals, plants, fungi, and microbes found on U.S. public lands.
The legislation comes amid growing global competition in technology, particularly with China. Lawmakers argue that high-quality biological datasets are essential for innovation in medicine, agriculture, and defense. While such data exists across America’s national parks and public lands, supporters say it has not been fully utilized as a strategic resource.
Senator Young stated: “We cannot afford to stand by while China and other adversaries compile massive biological datasets intended to undermine our national and economic security. Our bill will leverage our natural resources as national strategic assets, a necessary step in ensuring the U.S. remains the global tech leader.”
Senator Padilla added: “America’s public lands contain rich biological data with enormous potential to bolster our medicine, agriculture, supply chain, and national security. Yet despite the wide variety of climates and biodiversity in our 63 National Parks, the United States has failed to capitalize on this abundance of biological data as a strategic national resource. That’s why our bipartisan, bicameral bill would kickstart a comprehensive project to survey organisms on our public lands and collect key genomic samples to better understand the full range of America’s biological landscape and to harness the full power of American innovation.”
Representative Bice said: “Biological data from America’s vast public lands is a strategic national asset that must not only be secured but made accessible to American innovators. The convergence of AI and biotech is transforming what we can do with biology, and it requires high-quality data. This act will safeguard our competitive edge unleashing growth across the biotechnology sector with the help of the plants, animals, and fungi that make up our incredible national landscape.”
Representative Khanna commented: “I’m proud to sponsor America’s Living Library Act of 2026 alongside Sens. Padilla and Young and Rep. Bice to help further our nation’s understanding of biology and our natural resources across America’s 85 million acres of national parks and enable future biotech breakthroughs in medicine, agriculture, and industrial production.”
Other cosponsors include Senators Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), and Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.).
Support for the legislation comes from organizations such as Eli Lilly; Biotechnology Innovation Organization; ConservAmerica; Information Technology and Innovation Foundation; Inari; Indiana University; Elanco; Indiana Life Sciences Association; Ginkgo Bioworks; Applied Research Institute; American Alliance for Biomanufacturing; SCSP Action Program; American Institute of Biological Sciences; Natural Science Collections Alliance; American Society for Microbiology; and Entomological Society of America.
The National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology was established by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 to examine how biotechnology intersects with national security concerns. The commission delivered its report to Congress in April 2025.
Senator Young has also addressed issues such as affordable housing for communities as well as veterans’ support according to his official website. He has focused on conservative policies related to economic growth, artificial intelligence development, housing affordability measures for Americans including veterans’ issues (source). His service includes participation on Senate committees like Finance; Commerce Science & Transportation; Small Business & Entrepreneurship; Intelligence panel (source). Young holds degrees from institutions including Indiana University (source)—the university where Thomas D. Brock conducted research that contributed foundational techniques now used in modern medical testing—and he maintains offices throughout Indiana (source). He previously championed initiatives like the CHIPS and Science Act aimed at strengthening domestic semiconductor manufacturing (source).
More details about this legislation are available through official congressional sources.
