Baumgartner’s DETERRENT Act Passes the House to Combat Foreign Influence in U.S. Colleges
WASHINGTON- Today, Congressman Michael Baumgartner’s (WA-05) Defending Education Transparency and Ending Rogue Regimes Engaging in Nefarious Transactions (DETERRENT) Act (H.R. 1048) has passed the House with bipartisan support in a 241 to 169 vote. This bill is a critical step in safeguarding American higher education from foreign influence. The bill, introduced by Baumgartner, Vice Chair of the Education and Workforce subcommittee on Higher Education, aims to increase transparency and enforce stricter reporting requirements for foreign gifts and funding received by U.S. colleges and universities.
Foreign influence on our college campuses is a serious threat that is only growing. Last year, a congressional investigation of two top research universities uncovered nearly $40 million in unreported research contracts with the Chinese Communist Party. Under Section 117 of the Higher Education Act, these schools are required to report foreign gifts and funding. However, the loose legislative language of Section 117, institutions’ refusal to adhere to the law, and the Biden-Harris administration’s refusal to enforce the law have resulted in billions of dollars in foreign funds infiltrating our country undetected.
“The passage of the DETERRENT Act with bipartisan support is a significant and hard-won victory in the fight to protect academic integrity from foreign interference, said Congressman Buamgartner. "This bill reflects a growing consensus that transparency and accountability are essential in safeguarding American universities from the influence of foreign adversaries, particularly the Chinese Communist Party. It is a crucial step forward, but it is important to remember that universities don't have to wait for federal action to begin taking these necessary steps. Adopting the DETERRENT framework now—by disclosing foreign funding, establishing robust oversight, and ensuring that no outside power undermines the pursuit of knowledge—can help preserve the free exchange of ideas and innovations that are central to our academic institutions.”
The DETERRENT Act builds on an earlier investigation that revealed nearly $40 million in unreported research contracts with the Chinese Communist Party at top U.S. universities. With this new legislation, Baumgartner is working to ensure that foreign influence no longer goes undetected and that U.S. colleges and universities remain free from manipulation by foreign adversaries.
The bill’s passage in the House marks a crucial step forward in Baumgartner’s fight to protect the integrity of U.S. higher education. The DETERRENT Act now heads to the Senate, where it will continue to gain momentum toward becoming law.
Background
The DETERRENT Act:
Slashes the foreign gift reporting threshold for colleges and universities from $250,000 down to $50,000, with an even stricter $0 threshold for countries of concern.
Closes reporting loopholes and provides transparency to Congress, intelligence agencies, and the public.
Requires disclosure of foreign gifts to individual staff and faculty at research-heavy institutions to protect those targeted the most by our adversaries.
Holds our largest private institutions accountable for their financial partnerships by revealing concerning foreign investments in their endowments.
Implements a series of repercussions for colleges and universities that remain noncompliant in foreign gift reporting such as fines and the loss of Title IV funding.
Click here for a fact sheet.
Click here for a bill text.
Click here for a video explainer.