PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Oct 6, 2023
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 $50,000,000 in federal funds in any of the previous five calendar years to support research and development or that receives certain other federal funds.
Specifically, the bill requires an IHE to maintain
Showing the opening paragraphs of the official summary.
a policy requiring faculty, professional staff, and other staff engaged in research and development to annually disclose gifts received from, or contracts entered into with, a foreign source;
a publicly available and searchable database with the disclosed information; and
a plan to identify and manage potential information gathering by foreign sources through espionage targeting faculty, professional staff, and other staff engaged in research and development that may arise from gifts received from, or contracts entered into with, a foreign source.
The bill requires the Department of Education to investigate possible violations of this bill and outlines the various penalties for each violation.
People & committees
Rep. James, John [R-MI-10] · R–MI
Legislative record
A procedural vote is different from passage. Passage in one chamber does not establish enactment. Explore the glossary.
Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We currently store references to these documents.
Source last updated: Mar 26, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
AI Conversation Starters
Choose a perspective, copy a prompt, and paste it into your preferred AI. Each prompt includes the bill version and available official source links, and asks for counterarguments as well as supporting evidence.
Analyze H.R.5902 as objectively as possible. Explain its main provisions, who would be affected, possible benefits and harms, implementation, exceptions, and uncertainties. Present the strongest arguments for and against it, and identify evidence needed to assess its public impact.
Examine H.R.5902 through a progressive lens, focusing on fairness, access, economic inequality, and effects on vulnerable communities. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and distinguish stated goals from demonstrated outcomes.
Examine H.R.5902 through a conservative lens, focusing on fiscal responsibility, institutional stability, federalism, and the scope of government. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and any provisions that challenge this perspective.
Examine H.R.5902 through a civil-liberties and limited-government lens. Consider individual rights, privacy, voluntary choice, accountability, and government power. Explain tradeoffs, possible safeguards, and the strongest counterarguments without assuming the proposal is beneficial or harmful.