Rep. Kennedy and Rep. Stevens Introduce Bill to Protect U.S. Research from China

WASHINGTON, D.C. (February 14, 2025)—Representative Mike Kennedy (R-UT-03) and Representative Haley Stevens (D-MI) introduced the United States Research Protection Act, a vital legislative measure aimed at strengthening the security and integrity of America’s innovation enterprise. The bill amends a key provision of the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act focused on strengthening our research security. This legislation removes ambiguity in what qualifies as a malign foreign talent program and ensures there are no loopholes in its language that could inadvertently allow adversarial nations to exploit American research and technology for their own benefit.

“By closing these critical loopholes, the United States Research Protection Act ensures that our technological advancements remain secure and safeguarded from foreign exploitation. It also reaffirms a commitment to protecting American taxpayers by ensuring that their investments in research and development are not used to subsidize the capabilities of our strategic competitors, such as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP),” said Representative Kennedy

“To maintain our leadership in science and technology, we must strengthen federal research agencies and universities’ ability to identify foreign threats and protect our institutions from malign actors and governments. The United States Research Protection Act removes any confusion and draws a clear line in the sand on what constitutes a malign foreign talent program. This legislation safeguards American research and prevents U.S. tax dollars from reaching adversaries like the CCP—I hope to see it signed into law soon,” – said Chairman Brian Babin 

“Advancing strong, bipartisan legislation to help America retain an edge in a competitive, international research environment is critical to cementing our nation’s leadership in the mid-21st century,” said Rep. Haley Stevens. “The U.S. Research Protection Act will support the implementation of landmark research security provisions secured in the CHIPS and Science Act to inform and protect our researchers of threats against the United States scientific leadership. This legislation ensures that our Federal agencies and researchers are equipped with the resources necessary defend our national security and economic edge,” said Representative Stevens