H.R. 6297: International Biosecurity Act of 2010

111th Congress · introduced 2010-09-29 · International Affairs · Latest: Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2010-09-29 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Sherman, Brad [D-CA-27] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

International Biosecurity Act of 2010

Plain summary

International Biosecurity Act of 2010 - Directs the Secretary of State to establish the International Biosecurity Initiative which shall: (1) pursue efforts to establish international standards for pathogen and laboratory safety; (2) pursue efforts to ensure a strong global legal regime for biosecurity; (3) pursue strategies to strengthen the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on their Destruction; (4) engage in cooperative efforts to improve national, regional, and multinational surveillance and response capabilities with respect to infectious disease outbreaks; (5) support international mechanisms that enhance biosecurity policy coordination; (6) facilitate the alignment of foreign assistance for biosecurity with the public health needs of recipient countries; (7) engage in multilateral and bilateral discussions of biodefense programs and control of sensitive biotechnologies to ensure that they are limited to peaceful purposes; and (8) develop an assessment of the potential security threats and societal and ethical impacts posed by emerging and future biotechnology developments. Directs the Secretary to: (1) convene an International Biosecurity Task Force of experts to serve as a nongovernmental consultative body for the International Biosecurity Initiative; (2) establish the Nonproliferation and Counterterrorism Fellowship Program to provide eligible students and recent graduates educational fellowships for obtaining a deeper understanding of federal efforts to counter terrorist activities and to promote nonproliferation; (3) submit to Congress an assessment of the limits and capabilities of technologies that could be used for investigating biological incidents and allegations of illegal biological weapons activities; (4) submit to Congress an assessment of the global legal regime for biosecurity; and (5) report to Congress following any incident in which a foreign country fails to share information about the outbreak of a previously unknown infectious disease or about an outbreak for which the country is otherwise required to share information.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

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A “Yea” vote

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A “Nay” vote

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What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

International Biosecurity Act of 2010

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Sherman, Brad [D-CA-27] · 0 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Sherman, Brad [D-CA-27] reported raising $2.9 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (2)

Ballot initiative: A proposed law or constitutional amendment that citizens place on the ballot by gathering enough voter signatures, so voters decide it directly. About half the states allow some form of it.
Securities: Financial investments that can be bought and sold, such as stocks and bonds.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-111hr6297.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/111/hr>

Record fed-us-cong111-hr6297 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong111 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong111