Dhs Biodetection Improvement Act

Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6174, the DHS Biodetection Improvement Act. This bill seeks to enhance biodetection capabilities at the Department of Homeland Security by leveraging resources at the Department of Energy's national laboratories.

Currently, DHS' Office of Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction, or CWMD, leads DHS' biodetection work. The premier biodetection program is BioWatch, which is outdated, expensive, and labor-intensive. CWMD's more recent efforts to advance biodetection technologies have been delayed because of this.

H.R. 6174 would move DHS' biodetection programs forward by requiring the Department to complete an assessment of how it is utilizing the Department of Energy's national laboratories for biodetection. The bill would require DHS to create the defined program and technical requirements necessary to advance biodetection programs, including critical research and development.

Further, the bill requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to provide Congress with a strategy for conducting regular external evaluations to identify capability gaps and recommend contingency plans if biodetection technologies underperform.

As foreign and domestic security threats evolve, Congress' support for advancements in biodetection programs is key.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, while DHS has worked to improve its biodetection capabilities, many challenges remain, and the current technologies are aging.

H.R. 6174 pairs DHS and the Department of Energy's national laboratories, which would improve biodetection innovation and, ultimately, keep our communities safe from biological threats.

Mr. Speaker, I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting this critical bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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