PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Jun 11, 2020
America: Foreign Influence Resistance Starts with Transparency Act or the America FIRST Act
This bill requires institutions of higher education (IHEs) to disclose additional information related to gifts and contracts from foreign sources.
Specifically, the bill requires IHEs, nonprofit departments within IHEs, and affiliates of IHEs (e.g., professors and researchers) to disclose in the byline of publications the total value of gifts, contracts, and financial assets received by them from foreign sources. The Department of Education (ED) must determine appropriate enforcement actions for failures to do so, such as imposing a probationary period or limiting eligibility for federal funds.
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Additionally, IHEs must report to ED a gift or contract from a foreign source that has an annual value of $50,000 or more, considered in combination with all other gifts from or contracts with a foreign source. The fair market value of in-kind gifts is included in such limit. (Currently, a report is due if the annual value is $250,000 or more, considered alone or in combination with all other gifts from or contracts with a foreign source.)
Such reports to ED must also include the content of the contracts.
People & committees
Rep. Hern, Kevin [R-OK-1] · R–OK
Legislative record
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Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
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No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Jul 21, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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