IIB 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5245 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
SEPTEMBER 10, 2024 
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 
AN ACT 
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. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Science and Tech-
nology Agreement Enhanced Congressional Notification 
Act of 2024’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
(1) The signing and implementation of the 
agreement between the United States and the Peo-
ple’s Republic of China, known as the ‘‘Agreement 
between the Government of the United States of 
America and the Government of the People’s Repub-
lic of China on Cooperation in Science and Tech-
nology’’, signed in Washington on January 31, 1979 
(‘‘CST Agreement’’), and its many subsequent im-
plementing arrangements, has led to the develop-
ment of many science and technology programs. 
(2) Section 1207 of the Bob Stump National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003 (22 
U.S.C. 6901 note) required the Secretary of State to 
publish biennial reports detailing how the CST 
Agreement has benefitted the economy, military, and 
industrial base of the People’s Republic of China, a 
requirement that was repealed by Congress in 2016. 
(3) The CST Agreement was last extended in 
2018 by the Trump Administration after amending 
it to address United States concerns about the 
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science and technology practices of the People’s Re-
public of China. 
(4) The People’s Republic of China has re-
stricted United States researcher access in China de-
spite its commitments in the CST Agreement other-
wise. This includes reportedly withholding avian in-
fluenza strains vital for United States vaccine devel-
opment and cutting off United States access to 
coronavirus research in 2019, including United 
States-funded work at the Wuhan Institute of Virol-
ogy. 
(b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that— 
(1) science and technology cooperation with the 
People’s Republic of China can be a useful tool of 
United States foreign policy and should be pursued 
when it reinforces and advances the values and in-
terests of the United States; 
(2) no research undertaken as part of a science 
and technology agreement should enable the People’s 
Republic of China’s development of dual-use and 
critical technologies that threaten United States na-
tional security; 
(3) a science and technology agreement with 
the People’s Republic of China should include 
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human rights protections and projects undertaken as 
part of it should not directly or indirectly enable 
human rights abuses, including the persecution of 
Uyghurs in Xinjiang; 
(4) a science and technology agreement with 
the People’s Republic of China should include provi-
sions to safeguard the safety of United States re-
searchers and their intellectual property, as well as 
enhance their research access in China; and 
(5) any renewal, extension, or changes to the 
CST Agreement should be made to ensure that 
United States and Chinese joint research is safer 
and remains beneficial for United States interests. 
SEC. 3. ENHANCED CONGRESSIONAL NOTIFICATION RE-
GARDING 
SCIENCE 
AND 
TECHNOLOGY 
AGREEMENTS WITH THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC 
OF CHINA. 
(a) NOTIFICATION REQUIRED.—Not later than 15 
days before the date on which a renewal or extension of 
the CST Agreement, or the entry into or a renewal or ex-
tension of any other science and technology agreement 
with the Government of the People’s Republic of China 
or an entity of the People’s Republic of China, enters into 
effect, the Secretary of State shall submit to the appro-
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priate congressional committees a notification containing 
each of the matters described in subsection (b). 
(b) MATTERS DESCRIBED.—The matters described 
in this subsection are, with respect to the science and tech-
nology agreement for which a notification is submitted 
under subsection (a), the following: 
(1) The full text of such agreement and any an-
nexes or side letters. 
(2) A detailed justification for such agreement, 
including an explanation of the reasons for which 
entering into, renewing, or extending such agree-
ment, as applicable, is in the national interest of the 
United States. 
(3) An assessment of any risks posed by such 
agreement, and the checks it includes to prevent the 
transfer of technology or intellectual property capa-
ble of— 
(A) harming the national security interests 
of the United States; or 
(B) enabling of the People’s Republic of 
China’s military-civil fusion strategy. 
(4) An explanation for how the Secretary of 
State intends to build in human rights protections 
for any scientific and technology collaboration con-
ducted under such agreement. 
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(5) An assessment of the ways in which the 
Secretary will be able to prescribe terms for, and 
continuously monitor, the commitments and con-
tracts made by the Government of the People’s Re-
public of China or entity of the People’s Republic of 
China under such agreement. 
(6) A summary of changes or updates to the 
agreement that were secured to strengthen the 
United States ability to engage in science coopera-
tion with the People’s Republic of China in a way 
that is safer, more beneficial for the United States, 
or allows for stronger United States oversight over 
joint research. 
(7) Such other information relating to such 
agreement as the Secretary of State may determine 
appropriate. 
(c) APPLICABILITY.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The notification require-
ments under subsection (a) shall apply with respect 
to any science and technology agreements entered 
into, renewed, or extended on or after the date of 
the enactment of this Act. 
(2) EXISTING AGREEMENTS.—For any science 
and technology agreement between the United States 
Government and the People’s Republic of China that 
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is in effect as of the date of the enactment of this 
Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to the ap-
propriate congressional committees a report that in-
cludes each of the matters described in subsection 
(b) with respect to such existing agreement, not 
later than 90 days after the date of the enactment 
of this Act. 
SEC. 4. ANNUAL REPORT TO CONGRESS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter 
for 5 years, the Secretary of State, in consultation with 
the heads of other appropriate Federal departments and 
agencies, shall submit to Congress a report on— 
(1) the implementation of each science and 
technology agreement with the People’s Republic of 
China, including implementing arrangements, en-
tered into pursuant to the notification requirements 
under section 3; and 
(2) all activities conducted under each such 
agreement. 
(b) CONTENTS.—Each report required by subsection 
(a) shall also include each of the following: 
(1) An accounting of all joint projects and ini-
tiatives conducted under the CST Agreement and its 
implementing arrangements since the previous re-
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port (or, in the case of the first report, since the 
CST Agreement was entered into), including the 
name of each project, agreement, or implementing 
arrangement. 
(2) An evaluation of the benefits of the CST 
Agreement to the United States economy, scientific 
leadership, innovation capacity, and industrial base 
of the United States. 
(3) An estimate of the costs to the United 
States to administer the CST Agreement during the 
period covered by the report. 
(4) An evaluation of the benefits of the CST 
Agreement to the economy, to the military, and to 
the industrial base of the People’s Republic of 
China. 
(5) An assessment of how the CST Agreement 
has influenced the foreign and domestic policies and 
scientific capabilities of the People’s Republic of 
China. 
(6) Any plans of the Secretary of State for im-
proving the monitoring of the activities and the Peo-
ple’s Republic of China’s commitments established 
under the CST Agreement. 
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(7) An assessment of any potential risks posed 
by ongoing science cooperation with the People’s Re-
public of China. 
(c) FORM.—Each report required by subsection (a) 
shall be submitted in unclassified form and may include 
a classified annex. 
SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) APPROPRIATE
CONGRESSIONAL
COMMIT-
TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com-
mittees’’ means the Committee on Foreign Affairs of 
the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Foreign Relations of the Senate. 
(2) CST AGREEMENT.—The term ‘‘CST Agree-
ment’’ means the agreement between the United 
States and the People’s Republic of China known as 
the ‘‘Agreement between the Government of the 
United States of America and the Government of 
the People’s Republic of China on Cooperation in 
Science and Technology’’, signed in Washington on 
January 31, 1979, and its protocols, as well as any 
sub-agreements entered into pursuant to such 
Agreement on or before the date of the enactment 
of this Act. 
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(3) IMPLEMENTING ARRANGEMENT.—The term 
‘‘implementing arrangement’’, with respect to the 
CST Agreement or any other science and technology 
agreement, includes any sub-agreement or sub-ar-
rangement entered into under the CST Agreement 
or other science and technology agreement be-
tween— 
(A) any Federal governmental entity of the 
United States; and 
(B) any governmental entity of the Peo-
ple’s Republic of China, including state-owned 
research institutions. 
(4) SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AGREEMENT.— 
The term ‘‘science and technology agreement’’ 
means any treaty, memorandum of understanding, 
or other contract or agreement between the United 
States and 1 or more foreign countries for the pur-
pose of collaborating on or otherwise engaging in 
joint activities relating to scientific research, techno-
logical development, or the sharing of scientific or 
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technical knowledge or resources between such coun-
tries. 
Passed the House of Representatives September 9, 
2024. 
Attest: 
KEVIN F. MCCUMBER, 
Clerk. 
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