Costa introduces anticipated biolab legislation

A Central Valley lawmaker has unveiled legislation to address and prevent illegal laboratories like the one found in Reedley a year ago.

At a press conference in Reedley Tuesday, Rep. Jim Costa (D-Fresno) unveiled H.R. 8065—Preventing Illegal Laboratories and Protecting Public Health Act of 2024. The bipartisan legislation would address gaps in federal law in the regulation of highly infectious agents and high-containment laboratories.

The aim is enhancing the regulation of labs as revealed in the investigative report by Costa and the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

In April 2023, Reedley Code Enforcement discovered an illegal medical lab operated by Prestige Biotech Inc. of Nevada, known locally as Universal Meditech.

Investigators discovered nearly 1,000 bioengineered laboratory mice, infectious agents including E. Coli, malaria, various chemicals, medical waste, blood, tissue, serum, body fluid samples and illegal pregnancy tests.

“Over the past year of working with local, state, and federal leaders on investigating and cleaning up the illegal lab in Reedley, it became clear that changes were needed on the federal level to ensure public safety.” said Costa is a news release.

In October, Jia Bei Zhu, a Chinese national who goes by several names, was arrested for manufacturing and distributing medical devices in violation of the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

The legislation would require several protocols for laboratories. Sellers of highly infectious agents would be required to keep a logbook of all sales and maintain those records for at least five years, including naming the purchaser.

It would also require regular evaluations of high-containment labs in the U.S. after designating a single Federal official to lead the overview.

The act would also require a “Public Health and Biosecurity Team” to a be single point of contact for state and local agencies regarding laboratory biosafety and biosecurity questions.

It also comes with a requirement for a feasibility study on establishing a database of biolabs that is accessible to state and local officials.

“The Reedley incident highlighted a gap in the nation’s bio security. Any city around this country could have dozens of deadly pathogens stored next to sensitive locations and be completely unaware of it. Congressman Costa took this issue seriously from the very beginning and understood the national implications. His proposed legislation puts us on a path to closing that critical gap that will help keep every American safe from the hazards like those like those discovered in the Reedley lab,” said Nicole Zieba, city manager of Reedley