Official Summaries

United States Research Protection Act of 2025

This 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.

Current Full Text

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 769 Reported in Senate (RS)]

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                                                       Calendar No. 123
119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 769

                          [Report No. 119-45]

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.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           February 27, 2025

 Mr. Cornyn (for himself, Mr. Padilla, and Mr. Curtis) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                 Commerce, Science, and Transportation

                             July 22, 2025

                Reported by Mr. Cruz, without amendment

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 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.

    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 ``United States Research Protection 
Act of 2025''.

SEC. 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 (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.
                                                       Calendar No. 123

119th CONGRESS

  1st Session

                                 S. 769

                          [Report No. 119-45]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 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.

_______________________________________________________________________

                             July 22, 2025

                       Reported without amendment