H.R. 1999 · Where this bill is now
In committee
Introduced in the House, sent to the Committee on Education and Workforce, Mar 10, 2025
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryColleges must disclose foreign gifts to researchers
Colleges that get over $50 million in federal funds would need to set up systems to track and report when their researchers receive gifts or money from foreign sources. Schools would maintain a searchable public database of these disclosures and create a plan to watch for potential foreign attempts to spy on or influence their researchers through these gifts.
How it affects you
If you're a researcher or professor at a large university that receives federal funding, you'd need to report any gifts or contracts you accept from foreign sources each year. For students and the public, these new databases would make it easier to see what foreign funding relationships exist at major research institutions, though personal details would be kept private.
Read the official summary (Introduced in House, Mar 10, 2025)
Disclose Getting Involved in Foreign Transactions Act or the Disclose GIFT Act
This bill requires certain institutions of higher education (IHEs) to disclose gifts or contracts between covered individuals (e.g., researchers) and foreign sources. This bill applies to an IHE that (1) is an eligible institution for purposes of federal student aid programs, and (2) has received more than $50 million in federal funds in any of the previous five calendar years (with at least part to support research and development) or that receives certain other federal funds.
Specifically, the bill requires an IHE to maintain
• a policy requiring covered individuals employed at the IHE to annually disclose gifts received from, or contracts entered into with, a foreign source;
• a publicly available and searchable database with the disclosed information, excluding personally identifiable information; and
• a plan to identify and manage potential information gathering by foreign sources through espionage targeting covered individuals that may arise from such gifts or contracts.
The bill requires the Department of Education (ED) to investigate possible violations of this bill and outlines the various penalties for each violation.
Additionally, ED must maintain a single point of contact to, among other duties, receive and respond to inquiries and requests for technical assistance from IHEs regarding compliance with the requirements of the bill. IHEs must also establish policies and designate compliance officers.
The Government Accountability Office must study and report on ways to improve intergovernmental agency coordination for implementing and enforcing disclosure reporting requirements.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionH. R. 1999
A BILL
Disclose GIFT Act
Sponsor: Rep. John James (R-MI-10) · Introduced Mar 10, 2025 · Education · 1 version of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Mar 10, 2025: “Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.”