McClain Delaney's Bipartisan SCALE Biology Act Advances Out of House Science, Space, and Technology Committee

Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman April McClain Delaney's (D-MD-06) bipartisan Standards and Calibration for American Leadership in Engineering Biology (SCALE Biology) Actadvanced this week out of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, marking a significant step forward in strengthening U.S. leadership in biotechnology.

The SCALE Biology Act would establish a dedicated biometrology research program at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Biometrology-the science of measurement applied to engineering biology-is essential to advancing healthcare, domestic biomanufacturing, agricultural innovation, public health, and national security.

As the bioeconomy continues to grow, researchers, regulators, and industry need a common framework for measuring and evaluating biological systems. The SCALE Biology Act would direct NIST to develop standardized measurements, methodologies, guidelines, and best practices, creating a shared foundation that accelerates innovation and strengthens America's global competitiveness.

"The global race for biotechnology leadership isn't slowing down, and neither can we," said Rep. McClain Delaney. "The United States has the talent and the innovation to lead, including the expert researchers at NIST who call Maryland's Sixth District home, but we need the standards that allow groundbreaking discoveries to move from the lab to the marketplace. The SCALE Biology Act will help establish those standards and ensure America remains the global leader in biotechnology."

Maryland's Sixth District is home to one of the nation's premier biotechnology ecosystems, including the I-270 Technology Corridor-often referred to as "DNA Valley"-as well as world-renowned federal research institutions such as NIST, NIH, and the National Biodefense and Countermeasures Center, National Interagency Confederation for Biological Research at Fort Detrick. Advancing the SCALE Biology Act reinforces the region's leadership in biotechnology while strengthening America's innovation, competitiveness, health and well-being.

Read the bill.