ASM Responds to Approval of Risky Research Review Act
Statement From the American Society for °®¶¹´«Ã½
in Response to the Senate Homeland Security Governmental Affairs Committee Approval of the Risky Research Review Act
in Response to the Senate Homeland Security Governmental Affairs Committee Approval of the Risky Research Review Act
°®¶¹´«Ã½ (ASM) recognizes the important role of Congressional oversight of U.S. taxpayer funded research. That is why, in July, we submitted a letter to the Chair and Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee regarding the recently introduced Risky Research Review Act (S. 4667).
The bill that passed out of committee on Sept. 25 takes a step in the right direction by reflecting the definitions established by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy's guidance on “°®¶¹´«Ã½ States Government Policy for Oversight of Dual Use Research of Concern and Pathogens with Enhanced Pandemic Potential.”
While there is always room for improvement as is reflected in the OSTP guidance, we should also acknowledge the overall strength of the U.S. system. There is far greater risk from some areas outside the U.S. where there is less stringent oversight or lax enforcement. For them, the U.S. should serve as a model.
New regulatory barriers will be of little use absent investments in the network of the nation’s aging biocontainment labs and specialized workforce training to ensure that ongoing work is being conducted in the safest way possible. Such investments will have an important real-world impact on biosafety and biosecurity.
