Federal genomic database opens—but AI firms get early private access
S. 4023 — America’s Living Library Act · Filed by Todd Young (R-IN) · 12 cosponsors · Introduced Mar 5, 2026 · Hearing held
Your members of Congress
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What it does
This bill establishes a 10-year pilot program called the America's Living Library Project to collect and sequence the DNA of plants, animals, fungi, and microbes found in U.S. National Parks. The genomic data will be stored in a public database and housed at the Smithsonian Institution and USDA facilities. The program authorizes $135.5 million over five fiscal years (2027–2031) and requires coordination with federal agencies, tribal consultation, and strict biosecurity protocols.
Why we flagged it
The bill's core mechanism is establishing a federally funded genomic sequencing and data-storage program for biodiversity research. It is a public science initiative, not a regulatory change or appropriation rider. The program is transparent in purpose and mechanism.
What the text implies
- Section (i)(3) creates expedited, non-public access pathways for U.S.-based AI companies to train models on genomic data before public release—a significant private benefit to biotech/AI firms that may not be apparent from the title.
- The 'subscription model' for database access (section j(1)(B)(i)) may generate revenue streams for federal agencies, creating financial incentives to expand the program beyond its stated 10-year term.
- Samples are restricted to U.S. storage and processing, which may advantage domestic biotech firms over international competitors and could create geopolitical tension in global genomic research.
- The program's reliance on 'in-kind contributions from biotechnology companies' (section e(3)(C)) creates potential conflicts of interest in data standards, sequencing protocols, and access policies, despite vetting language.
Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.
Who it affects
Citizens gain a publicly accessible genomic database advancing scientific knowledge, conservation, and public health research. The program protects domestic sample ownership, restricts foreign control, and includes tribal consultation and biosecurity safeguards. The primary cost is public funding ($135.5M), which is justified by the public research value and long-term conservation benefit.
Who stands to gain
- U.S.-based biotechnology and AI companies (expedited non-public access to genomic data for model tra
- Sequencing service providers and genomic analysis firms (contracted to process samples)
- Federal agencies receiving appropriations (USGS, Smithsonian, USDA, NIH)
Named in the bill
Department of the Interior, United States Geological Survey, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution (National Museum of Natural History), U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institutes of Health (National Center for Biotechnology Information), National Park System, Indian Tribes (Federally Recognized), Foreign entities of concern (defined by reference to Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act § 40207)
Where it stands
12 cosponsors: 7 Democrats, 5 Republicans.
- Mar 5, 2026 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in Senate”
- Mar 5, 2026 — Referred to Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources · Congress.gov: “Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources”
- Sep 16, 2026 — Hearing held · Congress.gov: “Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Hearings held”
Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.
Money around this bill
2 lobbying clients named this bill on 2 disclosure filings across 1 quarter, Jun 2026 to Jun 2026. Those filings disclosed $60,000 in lobbying spend. A filing names 8 bills on average, so that figure is what each filing reported, not a share belonging to this bill.
More lobbying clients named this bill than 41% of bills with at least one filing.
Todd Young, the sponsor, reported $695,220 in PAC receipts in the 2026 cycle.
- American Museum of Natural History — $30,000 on 1 filing
- Entomological Society of America — $30,000 on 1 filing
Lobbying Disclosure Act filings through Jul 20, 2026. A filing shows who paid to lobby on a bill it names, not what changed.
How this was measured
Analysis — Quorum's AI read the bill text published by Congress.gov (17,745 characters) on Sep 18, 2026. Section numbers in the findings refer to that text, linked below; transparency and hidden-provision scores are compared against the median of 14,342 analysed bills.
Status and sponsors — Congress.gov's bill record — actions, committee referrals and cosponsors — loaded nightly. The timeline shows status changes, not every procedural action.
Money — Senate Lobbying Disclosure Act filings whose specific-issue field names this bill for quarters ending Jun 2026 to Jun 2026. A filing's amount is reported whole beside the median number of bills a filing names; it is never divided across them. PAC receipts are FEC-reported contributions to the sponsor's candidate committee in the 2026 cycle.
As of — lobbying records through Jul 20, 2026 · page rendered 2026-09-18.
“Federal genomic database opens—but AI firms get early private access” QuorumCivic. https://share.quorumcivic.app/bill/119/s4023 Report an error