PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 123.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · 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.
People & committees
Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX] · R–TX
Legislative record
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Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 123.
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Cruz without amendment. With written report No. 119-45.
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Cruz without amendment. With written report No. 119-45.
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Introduced in Senate
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: Sep 8, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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