S. 769 · Where this bill is now
In committee
Introduced in the Senate, Feb 27, 2025
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryClarifies rules on foreign talent recruitment programs
The U.S. already has a rule that prevents federally funded researchers from joining foreign talent recruitment programs when there's a conflict of interest or unauthorized activity involved. This bill clarifies what counts as a malign, or harmful, foreign talent recruitment program. It specifies that these programs are ones sponsored by countries of concern like China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia, and that they can offer payment or incentives either directly or indirectly to researchers.
How it affects you
If you're a researcher who receives federal funding, this clarification helps you understand what foreign recruitment programs you're prohibited from joining. The rule itself was already in place, but this bill makes the definition clearer so researchers and institutions know exactly what counts as a restricted program.
Read the official summary (Introduced in Senate, Feb 27, 2025)
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.
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. 769
A BILL
United States Research Protection Act of 2025
Sponsor: Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) · Introduced Feb 27, 2025 · Science, Technology, Communications · 2 versions of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Jul 22, 2025: “Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 123.”
Sections
The wording of this bill hasn’t changed across its 2 official versions.