S. 1296 · Where this bill is now
In committee
Introduced in the Senate, Apr 3, 2025
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryColleges must disclose foreign money and ties
This bill requires colleges and universities to tell the Department of Education about money they receive from foreign sources. They'd have to report gifts from countries like China or Russia of any amount, plus gifts or contracts from other foreign sources worth $50,000 or more (the current threshold is $250,000). Colleges would also need to report if they're substantially controlled by a foreign source or if they enter into contracts with foreign countries of concern. The bill also requires certain college researchers to disclose their own financial relationships with foreign sources.
How it affects you
If you attend or plan to attend college, this could matter to you because colleges that violate these disclosure rules could lose their eligibility for federal student financial aid, which might affect financial aid availability. The bill is mainly aimed at increasing transparency about which colleges have financial ties to foreign governments and entities, so you'd have more information about your school's foreign connections.
Read the official summary (Introduced in Senate, Apr 3, 2025)
Defending Education Transparency and Ending Rogue Regimes Engaging in Nefarious Transactions Act or the DETERRENT Act
This bill expands oversight and disclosure requirements related to foreign sources and institutions of higher education (IHEs).
Specifically, the bill requires an IHE to annually disclose to the Department of Education (ED) any year in which the IHE
• receives a gift from a foreign country of concern (e.g., China or Russia) or foreign entity of concern of any dollar amount;
• receives a gift or contract from a foreign source (other than a foreign country of concern or foreign entity of concern) that is valued at $50,000 or more, considered alone or in combination with all other gifts or contracts within a calendar year (current disclosure threshold is $250,000 or more), or which has an undetermined monetary value;
• enters into a contract with a foreign country of concern or foreign entity of concern after receiving a waiver for such contract; or
• is substantially controlled by a foreign source.
Additionally, the bill
• prohibits IHEs from entering into contracts with a foreign country of concern or with a foreign entity of concern without obtaining a waiver, and
• requires certain IHEs to disclose gifts or contracts between covered individuals (e.g., researchers) and foreign sources.
The bill requires ED to investigate possible violations of this bill and outlines the various penalties for each violation. Penalties may include losing eligibility for federal student financial aid.
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 SessionS. 1296
A BILL
DETERRENT Act
Sponsor: Sen. Thomas Tillis (R-NC) · Introduced Apr 3, 2025 · Education · 1 version of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Apr 3, 2025: “Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.”