Title: Combatting University Research Theft Act of 2020
Policy area: Education

Summary:
Combatting University Research Theft Act of 2020
This bill establishes a task force within the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center to develop best practices for institutions of higher education (IHEs) to deter and combat theft of intellectual property by foreign nations or agents. Further, the bill conditions the receipt of certain federal funding for research on an IHE's implementation of security protocols to deter and combat such theft.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8356 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8356

To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish a task force 
   on deterring and combating intellectual property theft by foreign 
    nations at institutions of higher education and to require such 
  institutions to have in place procedures and protocols to deter and 
               combat such theft, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 23, 2020

   Mr. Higgins of Louisiana introduced the following bill; which was 
            referred to the Committee on Education and Labor

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish a task force 
   on deterring and combating intellectual property theft by foreign 
    nations at institutions of higher education and to require such 
  institutions to have in place procedures and protocols to deter and 
               combat such theft, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Combatting University Research Theft 
Act of 2020''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF TASK FORCE; CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENT.

    (a) Task Force.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
        the enactment of this section, the Secretary of Homeland 
        Security, acting through the Director of the National 
        Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center, shall 
        establish a task force within the National Intellectual 
        Property Rights Coordination Center to develop best practices 
        for institutions of higher education receiving funding for 
        applicable research from the Federal Government for 
        implementing security procedures and protocols that deter and 
        combat theft of intellectual property.
            (2) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the establishment 
        of the task force under paragraph (1), the Director of the 
        National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center shall 
        submit to institutions of higher education and Congress a 
        report on the best practices developed by the task force under 
        subsection (a).
    (b) Certification Requirement.--Each entity of the Federal 
Government that provides after the date of the enactment of this 
section funds to an institution of higher education for applicable 
research shall, as a condition of providing such funds, require such 
institution to certify to such entity that the institution has 
procedures and protocols in place to deter and combat theft of 
intellectual property by foreign nations or agents.
    (c) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Applicable research.--The term ``applicable research'' 
        means research determined by the Director of the National 
        Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center to be 
        applicable.
            (2) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given such 
        term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1001).
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