United States Research Protection Act

Bill: 119-hr-1318
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Kennedy, Mike [R-UT-3]
Introduced: 2025-02-13
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications
Subjects: Employee hiring

International scientific cooperation

Research administration and funding
Latest action: action_date: 2025-03-25
text: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Summaries:
action_date: 2025-02-13
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>United States Research Protection Act</strong></p><p>This bill clarifies the definition of a&nbsp;<em>malign foreign talent recruitment program</em> under the Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation Act.<em>&nbsp;</em></p><p>The Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation Act, which was included in the CHIPS and Science Act, prohibits researchers who receive federal funds from participating in malign foreign talent recruitment programs, in which foreign countries incentivize or compensate researchers for activities that present a conflict&nbsp;of&nbsp;interest for the researcher or that are otherwise unauthorized (e.g., sharing proprietary information without proper authorization).</p><p>The bill clarifies that these restrictions apply to programs that are sponsored by a foreign country of concern, including China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia. The bill also clarifies that malign foreign talent recruitment programs may involve direct or indirect compensation or incentives from such&nbsp;countries.</p>

tv_txt: IIB 119th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 1318 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES March 25, 2025 Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation AN ACT To amend the Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation Act to clarify the definition of foreign country for purposes of malign foreign talent recruitment restriction, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the United States Research Protection Act . 2. Clarification of definition of foreign country for purposes of malign foreign talent recruitment restriction Paragraph (4) of section 10638 of title VI of division B of the Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation Act ( Public Law 117–167 ; 42 U.S.C. 19237 ) is amended— (1) by inserting of concern after foreign country each place such term appears; (2) by striking means— and all that follows through any program, position, or activity and inserting means any program, position, or activity ; (3) by striking subparagraph (B); (4) by redesignating clauses (i) through (ix) as subparagraphs (A) through (I), respectively, and moving such subparagraphs, as so redesignated, two ems to the left; (5) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), as so redesignated, by striking directly provided and inserting whether directly or indirectly provided ; and (6) in subparagraph (I), as so redesignated, by striking ; and and inserting a period.

Passed the House of Representatives March 24, 2025. Kevin F. McCumber, Clerk.

tv_txt: I 119th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 1318 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AN ACT To amend the Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation Act to clarify the definition of foreign country for purposes of malign foreign talent recruitment restriction, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the United States Research Protection Act . 2. Clarification of definition of foreign country for purposes of malign foreign talent recruitment restriction Paragraph (4) of section 10638 of title VI of division B of the Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation Act ( Public Law 117–167 ; 42 U.S.C. 19237 ) is amended— (1) by inserting of concern after foreign country each place such term appears; (2) by striking means— and all that follows through any program, position, or activity and inserting means any program, position, or activity ; (3) by striking subparagraph (B); (4) by redesignating clauses (i) through (ix) as subparagraphs (A) through (I), respectively, and moving such subparagraphs, as so redesignated, two ems to the left; (5) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), as so redesignated, by striking directly provided and inserting whether directly or indirectly provided ; and (6) in subparagraph (I), as so redesignated, by striking ; and and inserting a period.

Passed the House of Representatives March 24, 2025. Kevin F. McCumber, Clerk.

tv_txt: I 119th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 1318 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES February 13, 2025 Mr. Kennedy of Utah (for himself and Ms. Stevens ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology A BILL To amend the Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation Act to clarify the definition of foreign country for purposes of malign foreign talent recruitment restriction, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the United States Research Protection Act . 2. Clarification of definition of foreign country for purposes of malign foreign talent recruitment restriction Paragraph (4) of section 10638 of title VI of division B of the Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation Act ( Public Law 117–167 ; 42 U.S.C. 19237 ) is amended— (1) by inserting of concern after foreign country each place such term appears; (2) by striking means— and all that follows through any program, position, or activity and inserting means any program, position, or activity ; (3) by striking subparagraph (B); (4) by redesignating clauses (i) through (ix) as subparagraphs (A) through (I), respectively, and moving such subparagraphs, as so redesignated, two ems to the left; (5) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), as so redesignated, by striking directly provided and inserting whether directly or indirectly provided ; and (6) in subparagraph (I), as so redesignated, by striking ; and and inserting a period.