The House of Representatives is poised to take action on legislation that would prohibit U.S. biotechnology companies from engaging in business with a Chinese firm responsible for producing crucial drug ingredients. Lobbyists monitoring the BIOSECURE Act have indicated that the House Committee plans to hold a markup session on the bill next month. The objective is to secure passage of the legislation by the House prior to the July 4th recess, positioning it for inclusion in a comprehensive year-end legislative package that must be passed. The BIOSECURE Act, authored by leaders of the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, emerged from concerns that Chinese biotechnology entities could jeopardize U.S. national security by potentially providing the Chinese government access to sensitive American health information. The Select Committee, formed as an ad-hoc panel to foster bipartisan consensus on China-related policies, initiated the drafting of the legislation. However, the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, a permanent committee, holds the authority to shepherd the BIOSECURE Act through the legislative process. The committee has not yet responded to inquiries regarding the markup schedule.
House Committee to Restrict U.S. Biotech Partnerships with Chinese Company
