POLISCOPE
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HR9628FEDERALIN_COMMITTEE

The ACTIVATE Act: Assessing Adversary Biotechnology Capabilities

Original title: ACTIVATE Act

September 17, 2024

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Where This Stands

Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed
Signed

Currently IN_COMMITTEE. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

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The Frame

What this does

The bill mandates a formal assessment of foreign biotechnology threats, which could influence future Department of Defense research priorities, funding allocations, and national security strategies regarding emerging technologies.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Department of Defense

The Department is required to manage the research agreement, appoint liaisons, and distribute the final report to internal offices.

Federally funded research and development centers

These centers are the entities the Secretary of Defense must contract with to perform the biotechnology assessment.

What changed

Current stage: IN_COMMITTEE.

What's next

Floor Vote.

Summary

This bill directs the Secretary of Defense to hire an independent research center to evaluate the biotechnology capabilities of foreign adversaries, including China, Iran, and Russia. The resulting report, due by October 1, 2025, will identify potential technological gaps and provide recommendations for monitoring adversary advancements in the field.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Why It Matters

The bill mandates a formal assessment of foreign biotechnology threats, which could influence future Department of Defense research priorities, funding allocations, and national security strategies regarding emerging technologies.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the purpose of the ACTIVATE Act?
It aims to assess the biotechnology capabilities of U.S. adversaries to better understand their scientific progress and potential future needs.
Who will conduct the assessment?
The Secretary of Defense is required to enter into an agreement with a federally funded research and development center to perform the work.
When will the results be available?
The final report is required to be submitted by October 1, 2025.

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Lobbying Activity

AARP

$4,110,000

2026

HEALTH ISSUESMEDICARE/MEDICAIDLAW ENFORCEMENT/CRIME/CRIMINAL JUSTICEPHARMACY

P.L. 119-21, One Big Beautiful Bill Act H.R. 8867, Planning for Long-term Aging Needs (PLAN) Act H.R. 5861, Legacy Act of 2025 H.R. 9393, the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act. H.R. 9396, the Prior Authorization Accountability Act. S. 4916, the Aging with Artificial Intelligence Act. H.R. 8100, Safe Staffing Saves Lives Act. S. 3886, Nurses Belong in Nursing Homes Act. H.R. 6766/S. 3492, the Essential Caregivers Act of 2025. H.R. 7966/S. 4118, Hospice Care Accountability, Reform, and Enforcement (Hospice CARE) Act. S. 2120, the Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2025 H.R. 5575, the Firefighters Assisting Seniors to Emergency Response (FASTER) Act of 2025. H.R. 3954/S. 4641, Improving Access to Medicare Coverage Act. H.R.5554/S.2831, Stand Strong for Medicare Act. S. 3439/H.R. 6735, Connecting Caregivers to Medicare Act and efforts related to the bill S. 1227/H.R. 2491, Alleviating Barriers for Caregivers Act S. 668/H.R. 3183, Supporting Access to Falls Education and Prevention and Strengthening Training Efforts and Promoting Safety Initiatives (SAFE STEPS) for Veterans Act of 2025 CMS-1851-P, Hospice Proposed rule. CMS-1843-P, Skilled Nursing Facility Proposed rule. CMS-1844-P, Home Health Proposed rule. No bill number. Health care transparency. No bill number. Discussed use of artificial intelligence and health data technology. No bill number. Discussed health-related policies and activities around the fall respiratory virus season. No bill number. Discussed health insurance affordability proposals. No bill number. Discussed Nursing Home staffing standards, safety, and quality. No bill number. Discussed Nursing home transparency and ownership requirements. No bill number. Discussed home health, hospice, and long-term care. No bill number. Discussed falls prevention. No bill number. Discussed social isolation. No bill number. Discussed HUD Assisted Living Requirements No bill number. Discussed family caregiving. No bill number. Discussed AARP paper on Medicare Caregiver Training Services. No bill number. Discussed Medicaid community engagement interim final rule, including the family caregiver exemption. No bill number. Discussed the paid direct care workforce in long-term care. No bill number. Discussed the unaffordability of long-term care. No bill number. Discussed Money Follows the Person Rebalancing Demonstration Program and Medicaid HCBS spousal impoverishment protections. No bill number. Discussed Medicaid fraud and family caregivers, Medicaid self-direction programs. No bill number. Discussed sandwich generation family caregiver hearing and submitted a statement for the record discussing family caregivers and sandwich generation caregivers, programs that support them, AARP caregiving resources, and federal policies to support sandwich generation caregivers and caregivers more broadly. No bill number. Discussed long-term care. No bill number. CMS-2453-NC; Medicaid Program; 2028 Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services Quality Measure Set Submitted comments No bill number. Discussed expanding access to home care. No bill number. Discussed the increasing cost of home care No bill number. Discussed HSA use for telehealth chronic care management services/subscriptions. No bill number. Discussed artificial intelligence and technology

1607 STRATEGIES, LLC

on behalf of American Property Casualty Insurance Association

2026

INSURANCEBUDGET/APPROPRIATIONSTORTS

Issues relating to the reauthorization of the National Flood Insurance Program and other Issues related to flood insurance. Issues related to the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Issues regarding environmental policies and their consideration by insurers and state insurance regulators. Issues related to the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program. H.R. 7128, TRIA Program Reauthorization Act of 2026, all provisions.

SACRAMENTO ADVOCATES INC.

on behalf of ASSOCIATION OF TALENT AGENTS

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SCHOOL SERVICES OF CALIFORNIA INC.

on behalf of PERALTA COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT

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SCHOOL SERVICES OF CALIFORNIA INC.

on behalf of PALO VERDE COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT

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SCHOOL SERVICES OF CALIFORNIA INC.

on behalf of OXNARD UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT

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SCHOOL SERVICES OF CALIFORNIA INC.

on behalf of ORANGE COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION

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SCHOOL SERVICES OF CALIFORNIA INC.

on behalf of KERN COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS

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SCHOOL SERVICES OF CALIFORNIA INC.

on behalf of CALIFORNIA INTERSCHOLASTIC FEDERATION

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Pillsbury Madison & Sutro LLP

on behalf of CHEVRON CORPORATION AND ITS SUBSIDIARIES

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Sponsors

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Focus on Biotechnology as a Strategic Threat

The bill formalizes the inclusion of biotechnology as a primary area of concern for national security assessments alongside traditional military capabilities.

Connected Entities

organizationCongressional defense committeesThe legislative bodies receiving the report.Map →
bill_numberH.R. 9628The bill itselfMap →
locationRussian FederationOne of the adversaries being assessed.Map →
locationChinaOne of the adversaries being assessed.Map →
organizationfederally funded research and development centerThe entity conducting the biotechnology assessment.Map →
locationIranOne of the adversaries being assessed.Map →
organizationNational Security Commission on Emerging BiotechnologyThe commission receiving the report.Map →
personSecretary of DefenseThe executive branch official responsible for implementing the bill.Map →

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance65
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy20
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment5
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz15
    Current news / social attention level

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