I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 5245 

To amend the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 to require 

certain congressional notification prior to entering into, renewing, or 

extending a science and technology agreement with the People’s Republic 

of China, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

AUGUST 22, 2023 

Mr. BARR (for himself, Mr. DUNN of Florida, and Mr. WITTMAN) introduced 

the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

A BILL 

To amend the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 

1956 to require certain congressional notification prior 

to entering into, renewing, or extending a science and 

technology agreement with the People’s Republic of 

China, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Science and Tech5 nology Agreement Enhanced Congressional Notification 

6 Act of 2023’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. ENHANCED CONGRESSIONAL NOTIFICATION RE2 GARDING SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 

3 AGREEMENTS WITH THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC 

4 OF CHINA. 

5 (a) NOTIFICATION REQUIRED.—Title I of the State 

6 Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 (22 U.S.C. 

7 2651a et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the fol8 lowing new section: 

9 ‘‘SEC. 64. CONGRESSIONAL NOTIFICATION REGARDING 

10 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AGREEMENTS 

11 WITH THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA. 

12 ‘‘(a) NOTIFICATION REQUIRED.—The Secretary of 

13 State may not enter into, renew, or extend any science 

14 and technology agreement with the People’s Republic of 

15 China until— 

16 ‘‘(1) the Secretary submits to the appropriate 

17 congressional committees a notification containing 

18 each of the matters described in subsection (b); and 

19 ‘‘(2) a period of not less than 30 days has 

20 elapsed following such submission. 

21 ‘‘(b) MATTERS DESCRIBED.—The matters described 

22 in this subsection are, with respect to the science and tech23 nology agreement for which the notification is submitted, 

24 the following: 

25 ‘‘(1) A written notice of such agreement, in26 cluding the full text of such agreement. 


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1 ‘‘(2) A detailed justification for such agree2 ment, including an explanation as to why such 

3 agreement is in the national security interests of the 

4 United States. 

5 ‘‘(3) An assessment of the risks and potential 

6 effects of such agreement, including any potential 

7 for the transfer under such agreement of technology 

8 or intellectual property capable of harming the na9 tional security interests of the United States. 

10 ‘‘(4) A detailed justification for how the Sec11 retary intends to address human rights concerns in 

12 any scientific and technology collaboration proposed 

13 to be conducted under such agreement. 

14 ‘‘(5) An assessment of the extent to which the 

15 Secretary will be able to continuously monitor the 

16 commitments made by the People’s Republic of 

17 China under such agreement. 

18 ‘‘(6) Such other information relating to such 

19 agreement as may be determined appropriate. 

20 ‘‘(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

21 ‘‘(1) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMIT22 TEES.—The term ‘appropriate congressional com23 mittees’ means— 

24 ‘‘(A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of 

25 the House of Representatives; and 


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1 ‘‘(B) the Committee on Foreign Relations 

2 of the Senate. 

3 ‘‘(2) SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AGREE4 MENT.—The term ‘science and technology agree5 ment’ means any treaty, memorandum of under6 standing, or other contract or agreement between 

7 the United States and one or more foreign countries 

8 for the purpose of collaborating on or otherwise en9 gaging in joint activities relating to scientific re10 search, technological development, or the sharing of 

11 scientific or technical knowledge or resources be12 tween such countries.’’. 

13 (b) APPLICABILITY.— 

14 (1) IN GENERAL.—The requirements under sec15 tion 64 of the State Department Basic Authorities 

16 Act of 1956, as added by subsection (a), shall apply 

17 with respect to science and technology agreements 

18 entered into, renewed, or extended on or after the 

19 date of the enactment of this Act. 

20 (2) EXISTING AGREEMENTS.—Any science and 

21 technology agreement between the Secretary of State 

22 and the People’s Republic of China in effect as of 

23 the date of the enactment of this Act shall be re24 voked unless, not later than 60 days after the date 

25 of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State 


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1 submits to the appropriate congressional committees 

2 a notification of such agreement containing each of 

3 the matters described in subsection (b) of such sec4 tion 64. 

5 (3) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection, the 

6 terms ‘‘appropriate congressional committees’’ and 

7 ‘‘science and technology agreement’’ have the mean8 ings given such terms in subsection (c) of such sec9 tion 64. 

Æ 


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