Senate advances bill that would restrict Chinese biotech companies

The U.S. Senate Homeland Security committee on Wednesday passed a bill that would restrict the activities of Chinese biotech companies such as BGI and WuXi Apptec. The goal of the bill is to keep American genetic information safe. U.S. intelligence agencies have said the “Chinese Communist Party’s concerted efforts to acquire human genetic and related data,” pose a “serious national threat,” according to a news release. The bill is sponsored by Sen. Gary Peters, a Democrat from Michigan. Senate Bill 3558 could prohibit the federal government from entering into contracts with companies or with other entities that utilize the companies’ services and equipment. Republican Senator Rand Paul from Kentucky voted against the bill, saying it could negatively affect biotech supply chains in the U.S.

What’s next? For the bill to become law, it must be voted on by the entire Senate, House and eventually be signed by the President.

Dig deeper: Read Josh Schumacher’s Sift on Biden seeking to protect Americans from high-tech Chinese vehicles.