Rep. Andrea Salinas Celebrates the Passage of Two Bipartisan Bills through the House

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today,Congresswoman Andrea Salinas (OR-06) celebrated the passage of two of her bills through the House of Representatives with overwhelming bipartisan support. Both of her bills, the Nucleic Acid Screening for Biosecurity Act and the Next-Generation Geothermal Research and Development Act, would strengthen two industries that are critical to Oregon's future, support American workers, and help the United States remain a global leader in science and energy innovation.

"I am proud that two of my bills have passed the House floor with bipartisan support. My bills will support two industries that are critical to Oregon's future: geothermal energy and biotechnology," said Rep. Salinas. "My geothermal bill will help advance the research, testing, and workforce development needed to meet our electricity demand. And my nucleic acid bill will help ensure the safety and reliability of our scientific advancements in biotechnology and health care. Most importantly, both of these bills build on partnerships between government and local industries to create jobs and enhance our energy and biosecurity capabilities, all while delivering benefits for workers, consumers, and communities."

TheNucleic Acid Screening for Biosecurity Act, co-led by Rep. Rich McCormick (GA-07), would develop technical standards and best practices for nucleic acid screening. The bill authorizes the Director of the National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST) to carry out programs to support the development of technical standards and best practices related to nucleic acid screening. It would codify nucleic acid screening activities outlined in former President Biden's Executive Order on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence. These reliable standards would help protect the public, give researchers and biotechnology companies greater certainty, and strengthen the United States' position as a global leader in scientific research.

The Next-Generation Geothermal Research and Development Act, co-led by Rep. Pat Harrigan (NC-10), would improve coordination between the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Department of the Interior to better understand and map geothermal resources across the country, expand testing capabilities at DOE's Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy sites, establish a geothermal Center of Excellence, and authorize $150 million per year through Fiscal Year 2031 to support these activities. These investments would help move promising geothermal technologies toward commercial use, create skilled jobs, and expand access to reliable domestic energy as electricity demand grows.

Both of the bills were passed with overwhelming bipartisan support and now await consideration in the U.S. Senate.