United States Research Protection Act

House Bill

H.R. 1318

119th Congress

United States Research Protection Act

In Committee

Introduced:Feb 13, 2025

Primary Sponsor

Mike Kennedy

R - UT

Cosponsors

1

Quick Stats

Policy Area

Science, Technology, Communications

Summary

This bill clarifies that malign foreign talent recruitment programs under CHIPS and Science Act restrictions include programs sponsored by countries of concern: China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia. It specifies that both direct and indirect compensation or incentives from these countries qualify as malign recruitment, preventing federally-funded researchers from participating in such programs.

Latest Action

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

AI Summary

Plain-English explanation of this bill

This bill clarifies that malign foreign talent recruitment programs under CHIPS and Science Act restrictions include programs sponsored by countries of concern: China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia. It specifies that both direct and indirect compensation or incentives from these countries qualify as malign recruitment, preventing federally-funded researchers from participating in such programs.

Last updated: 12/30/2025

Official Summary

Congressional Research Service summary

United States Research Protection ActThis bill clarifies the definition of a malign foreign talent recruitment program under the Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation Act. 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 of interest for the researcher or that are otherwise unauthorized (e.g., sharing proprietary information without proper authorization).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 countries.

Key Points

Main provisions of the bill

Clarifies malign foreign talent recruitment program definition
Specifies programs from China, Iran, North Korea, Russia
Covers both direct and indirect compensation/incentives
Protects federally-funded research from foreign influence
Strengthens CHIPS and Science Act protections
Addresses research security concerns with adversary nations

How This Impacts Americans

Potential effects on citizens and communities

This bill strengthens protections against foreign government efforts to recruit U.S. researchers for unauthorized technology transfer or intellectual property theft. By clarifying that programs from specific adversary nations qualify as malign and that indirect compensation counts, the bill closes potential loopholes. This protects national security while federally-funded researchers who comply with disclosure requirements can still engage in legitimate international collaboration.

Policy Areas

Primary Policy Area

Science, Technology, Communications

Related Subjects

Employee hiring

International scientific cooperation

Research administration and funding

Scope & Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction Level

federal

Congressional Session

119th Congress

Citation Reference

1318, 119th Congress (2025). "United States Research Protection Act". Source: Voter's Right Platform. https://votersright.org/bills/118-hr-1318