Park Genomics Library Program

Full Title:
America’s Living Library Act

Summary#

This bill creates the "America's Living Library Project," a 10-year pilot program to collect and store genomic data and physical samples from plants, animals, fungi, and microbes found in selected National Park Service sites. The program funds sequencing, a publicly searchable genomic database, long-term physical storage of samples inside the United States, and an office in the U.S. Geological Survey to run the project. The stated goal is to expand genomic information to help research, conservation, public education, and related uses.

  • Main change: establishes a new federal program to collect, sequence, catalogue, and store genomic data and samples from species in selected national parks and to make non-sensitive data publicly available.
  • Database and access: requires a public genomic database (with sensitive locality and personal data withheld) and directs development of an expedited, non-public access path for domestic entities (only U.S.-organized entities not owned or controlled by a defined “foreign entity of concern”) for AI training and related uses.
  • Sample handling: requires physical samples and their processing to stay in U.S. facilities and directs long-term storage in Smithsonian and Department of Agriculture repositories.
  • Funding: authorizes specific funding for program management, sample storage, and data storage for fiscal years 2027–2031.
  • Scope and timeline: directs selection of 5 park units within 180 days, 20 more within 2 years, and terminates the program authority 10 years after enactment.
  • Tribal consultation and legal compliance: requires consultation with Indian Tribes and compliance with existing permits and laws (Endangered Species Act, Migratory Bird Treaty Act, Lacey Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act, and others).

What it means for you#

  • Researchers and scientists

    • More genomic sequence data from species found in selected national parks could become available for study.
    • Physical samples will be stored in U.S. repositories and may be available for future research through the managing institutions.
    • There will be standardized sequencing and data-quality rules for program data.

  • National Park Service and park visitors

    • Five park units will be selected quickly for pilot work; 20 more may be added within two years.
    • Researchers collecting samples must follow existing permitting and protections for endangered and migratory species.

  • Museums and agricultural repositories

    • The Smithsonian’s natural history collections and USDA repositories will receive funding and be designated managers for long-term storage of samples.
    • These institutions will manage access and curation of the collections.

  • Biotechnology and private companies

    • The program may accept in-kind contributions (equipment, sequencing services) from companies, subject to conflict-of-interest vetting and limits on the type of contributions.
    • The implementation plan calls for a possible “graduated subscription model” for certain database access, which could affect how private firms obtain large-scale or bulk data.

  • AI developers and technology companies

    • The bill asks for a plan to provide expedited or non-public access pathways for U.S. entities (not owned or controlled by a foreign entity of concern) to support AI training or evaluation. Details of how that access will work are to be developed.

  • Indian Tribes

    • The Secretary must consult with Indian Tribes under federal law and Department policies when implementing the program.

  • General public

    • Non-sensitive genomic data and educational materials are intended to be publicly available, though precise collection locations and personal identifiers will be withheld to protect resources and privacy.

Expenses#

Estimated public cost authorized by the bill: about $300 million in authorized funding for fiscal years 2027–2031. (Authorizations do not guarantee that funds will be appropriated.)

  • Program management and sequencing oversight (Department of the Interior/USGS): a total of $177 million authorized across FY2027–2031.
  • Smithsonian natural history storage: $33 million authorized across FY2027–2031.
  • Department of Agriculture research storage (National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research): $30 million authorized across FY2027–2031.
  • National Animal Germplasm Program storage: $10 million authorized across FY2027–2031.
  • National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) data storage: $50 million authorized across FY2027–2031.
  • Other costs not separately estimated in the bill: staffing for the new office, IT and cybersecurity implementation, permit management, and administrative costs at partner agencies.
  • The bill also directs a report to propose a funding model (a possible graduated subscription model) and potential partnerships to support long-term funding; the report may recommend fees or partnerships but the bill itself only authorizes appropriations.

Proponents' View#

The bill appears intended to do the following:

  • Build a national, standardized set of genomic data and physical samples from species in national parks to support conservation, research, public health, and education.
  • Make genomic data widely usable by leveraging existing data standards and public repositories while protecting sensitive location and personal information.
  • Preserve physical specimens and germplasm in U.S. repositories for long-term scientific use.
  • Encourage public-private cooperation (including limited in-kind contributions) and coordinated federal agency action to scale sequencing and storage.
  • Provide controlled access pathways for U.S. organizations to use data for AI development while limiting access by entities tied to foreign entities of concern.

Opponents' View#

The bill’s design raises several questions and potential concerns based on its text:

  • Costs and sustainability: The bill authorizes roughly $300 million through 2031, but the long-term funding plan is to be developed later. It is unclear how sustained operations would be funded after FY2031 or if the subscription model will be acceptable to users.
  • Data access and equity: The planned “graduated subscription model” and the non-public expedited access for some domestic entities could limit equal access to large or bulk datasets, depending on how fees or tiers are set.
  • Biosecurity and misuse risks: The bill requires safeguards and separate storage for potentially hazardous microbes. However, details about how biosecurity risks will be managed, monitored, and enforced are limited in the bill text.
  • Research collaboration limits: The prohibition on transferring or exporting physical samples outside the U.S. could restrict international scientific collaboration that depends on sharing specimens.
  • Definitions and enforcement: Key terms and limits—such as which entities count as “foreign entities of concern,” how conflicts of interest in in-kind contributions will be vetted, and precise rules for withholding location data—are referenced or delegated and may leave important choices unspecified.
  • Tribal and community concerns: The bill requires Tribal consultation, but it does not specify how benefit-sharing, data sovereignty, or access to samples for Indigenous communities will be handled; some may find that insufficiently detailed.

What is unclear: the bill delegates many operational details (exact data-access rules, subscription fee structure, enforcement of export and access limits, and the practical vetting of private contributions) to future plans and agency decisions. The practical effects for international researchers and smaller research groups will depend on those later decisions.