Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.
The bill bars Department of Defense funding to universities that enter into contracts with designated "covered nations" or "foreign entities of concern" beginning January 1, 2027, unless the Secretary of Defense issues a time-limited waiver. It requires institutions to submit full contracts for waiver review, name a compliance officer, and publicizes waivers and contracts.
Progressives emphasize academic freedom and anti-discrimination concerns
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a well-specified substantive policy change: it sets clear prohibitions and post-employment restrictions and supplies detailed waiver, reporting, and transparency mechanisms, with defined responsible actors and timelines.
The bill bars Department of Defense funding to universities that enter into contracts with designated "covered nations" or "foreign entities of concern" beginning January 1, 2027, unless the Secretary of Defense issues a time-limited waiver.
It requires institutions to submit full contracts for waiver review, name a compliance officer, and publicizes waivers and contracts.
Separately, principal investigators on DOD-funded research in Secretary-designated critical or emerging technologies must agree to a 10-year post-employment ban on compensated work for foreign entities of concern, with limited waiver authority.
Content aligns with national-security priorities and has compromise elements, but strict PI bans, administrative burden, legal risk, and procedural hurdles temper standalone prospects.
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a well-specified substantive policy change: it sets clear prohibitions and post-employment restrictions and supplies detailed waiver, reporting, and transparency mechanisms, with defined responsible actors and timelines.
Progressives emphasize academic freedom and anti-discrimination concerns
These are examples from the analysis, not a ranked list of the most-affected groups.
Progressives emphasize academic freedom and anti-discrimination concerns
Supports protecting sensitive defense research from foreign espionage, but is concerned about impacts on academic freedom, researcher mobility, and possible discriminatory targeting.
Worries the 10-year post-employment ban and broad contract prohibitions could chill international collaboration and harm students and faculty.
Would seek narrower scope, stronger civil‑rights safeguards, and procedural protections for affected scholars.
Sees the bill as a reasonable step to protect national security while preserving flexibility through waivers and reporting.
Views many provisions as pragmatic, but flags unclear definitions, administrative costs, and potential unintended consequences for talent recruitment.
Would favor clearer definitions, predictable waiver criteria, and funding for implementation.
Strongly favors strict protections for defense-related research and restrictions on entities tied to adversary states.
Views the contract ban, public disclosure, and 10-year employment prohibition as necessary to prevent CCP espionage and technology transfer.
Supports robust enforcement and limited, closely scrutinized waivers.
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Still ahead
Still ahead
Still ahead
Content aligns with national-security priorities and has compromise elements, but strict PI bans, administrative burden, legal risk, and procedural hurdles temper standalone prospects.
The bill has not accumulated any surfaced votes yet.
Progressives emphasize academic freedom and anti-discrimination concerns
Content aligns with national-security priorities and has compromise elements, but strict PI bans, administrative burden, legal risk, and pr…
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a well-specified substantive policy change: it sets clear prohibitions and post-employment restrictions and supplies detailed waiver, reporting, and transparency m…
Go beyond the headline summary with full stakeholder mapping, legislative design analysis, passage barriers, and lens-by-lens tradeoff breakdowns.