II
119THCONGRESS
1
STSESSION S. 738
To provide a moratorium on all Federal research grants provided to any
institution of higher education or other research institute that is con-
ducting dangerous gain-of-function research.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
FEBRUARY26, 2025
Mr. M
ARSHALL(for himself and Mrs. BLACKBURN) introduced the following
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Edu-
cation, Labor, and Pensions
A BILL
To provide a moratorium on all Federal research grants
provided to any institution of higher education or other
research institute that is conducting dangerous gain-of-
function research.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Dangerous Viral Gain 4
of Function Research Moratorium Act’’. 5
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•S 738 IS
SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON FEDERAL RESEARCH GRANTS 1
FOR INSTITUTIONS AND RESEARCH INSTI-2
TUTES CONDUCTING DANGEROUS GAIN-OF- 3
FUNCTION RESEARCH. 4
(a) D
EFINITIONS.—In this section: 5
(1) G
AIN-OF-FUNCTION RESEARCH .—The term 6
‘‘gain-of-function research’’ means any research 7
that— 8
(A) involves the genetic alteration of an or-9
ganism to change or enhance the organism’s bi-10
ological functions, which change or enhance-11
ment may include increased infectivity, trans-12
missibility, pathogenicity, or host range (which 13
is the spectrum of hosts that an organism can 14
infect); or 15
(B) may be reasonably anticipated to con-16
fer attributes to an organism, such that the or-17
ganism would have enhanced infectivity, patho-18
genicity, or transmissibility, or otherwise pose a 19
threat to national security, public safety, or the 20
health of humans, companion animals, or live-21
stock, poultry, seafood and aquaculture species, 22
or game animals. 23
(2) O
RGANISM.— The term ‘‘organism’’ means 24
an influenza virus, a coronavirus (including a Middle 25
Eastern Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) virus, 26
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•S 738 IS
SARS–CoV–1, SARS–CoV–2, or SARS-like viruses), 1
or an agent or toxin on the Select Agents and Tox-2
ins List of the Department of Health and Human 3
Services or the Department of Agriculture under 4
part 331 of title 7, Code of Federal Regulations, 5
part 121 of title 9, Code of Federal Regulations, or 6
part 73 of title 42, Code of Federal Regulations, or 7
any synthetic construct of such virus, agent, or 8
toxin. 9
(b) P
ROHIBITION.—Notwithstanding any other provi-10
sion of law, no research grants supported by Federal funds 11
may be awarded to institutions of higher education, or 12
other research institutes, that are conducting gain-of-func-13
tion research. 14
Æ
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