Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
The CAMPUS Act requires the Director of National Intelligence, with the Secretary of Defense, to identify higher-education institutions domiciled in the People’s Republic of China that provide support to the People’s Liberation Army or implement Military-Civil Fusion, and to submit that list to Congress annually. The bill bars Department of Defense research, development, testing, and evaluation funds from flowing to entities that contract with listed institutions, conditions facility eligibility for classified information on certifications, authorizes visa denials for certain nonimmigrant students and employees of listed institutions, and prohibits some Department of Education K–12 funds to schools contracting with PRC entities.
Progressives emphasize academic freedom and anti-profiling concerns
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill establishes substantive prohibitions and duties across multiple agencies and programs, and it creates a recurring reporting requirement (an annual DNI list) that drives those prohibitions.
The CAMPUS Act requires the Director of National Intelligence, with the Secretary of Defense, to identify higher-education institutions domiciled in the People’s Republic of China that provide support to the People’s Liberation Army or implement Military-Civil Fusion, and to submit that list to Congress annually.
The bill bars Department of Defense research, development, testing, and evaluation funds from flowing to entities that contract with listed institutions, conditions facility eligibility for classified information on certifications, authorizes visa denials for certain nonimmigrant students and employees of listed institutions, and prohibits some Department of Education K–12 funds to schools contracting with PRC entities.
It also prohibits RDT&E funding linked to entities on the Commerce Department Entity List, authorizes grants to expand Mandarin and Taiwan-linked cultural programming in U.S. schools, and lowers the foreign gift disclosure threshold for colleges to $50,000.
Content aligns with security priorities but contains controversial academic and visa restrictions and lacks strong compromise mechanics, reducing overall enactment odds.
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill establishes substantive prohibitions and duties across multiple agencies and programs, and it creates a recurring reporting requirement (an annual DNI list) that drives those prohibitions. It identifies responsible actors and references existing legal constructs, but it omits substantial implementation detail such as statutory criteria for identification, administrative procedures for affected entities and individuals, resourcing and appropriations language, and mechanisms for appeal, verification, or delisting.
Progressives emphasize academic freedom and anti-profiling concerns
These are examples from the analysis, not a ranked list of the most-affected groups.
Progressives emphasize academic freedom and anti-profiling concerns
A liberal-left observer would see the bill as a security-focused response to PRC Military-Civil Fusion but worry about overbroad measures that could chill academic exchange and harm students.
They would support increased transparency on foreign gifts and Taiwan partnerships, while seeking safeguards for academic freedom and non-discrimination.
They would emphasize protections for individual researchers and clear, narrow definitions to avoid sweeping impacts.
A centrist would view the bill as a pragmatic, targeted effort to protect sensitive research and limit PRC military influence while increasing transparency.
They would generally support the objectives but want clearer definitions, measurable implementation plans, and procedural safeguards to avoid unintended harm to legitimate research and education.
They would favor adjustments to reduce administrative burden and diplomatic fallout.
A mainstream conservative would view the bill favorably as a firm step to decouple U.S. research and education funding from PRC military-linked institutions.
They would praise visa denials, funding restrictions, lowered gift thresholds, and stronger Taiwan partnerships as tools to reduce Chinese influence.
They may want even stronger enforcement or broader application against PRC-linked entities.
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Still ahead
Still ahead
Still ahead
Content aligns with security priorities but contains controversial academic and visa restrictions and lacks strong compromise mechanics, reducing overall enactment odds.
The bill has not accumulated any surfaced votes yet.
Progressives emphasize academic freedom and anti-profiling concerns
Content aligns with security priorities but contains controversial academic and visa restrictions and lacks strong compromise mechanics, re…
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill establishes substantive prohibitions and duties across multiple agencies and programs, and it creates a recurring reporting requirement (an annual DNI list) that driv…
Go beyond the headline summary with full stakeholder mapping, legislative design analysis, passage barriers, and lens-by-lens tradeoff breakdowns.