119th Congress (2025-2026)

S 1317

Safeguarding American Education From Foreign Control Act

Introduced

Jurisdiction

US Congress

Session

119th Congress (2025-2026)

Official source

Chamber

Senate

Session

119th Congress (2025-2026)

Jurisdiction

US Congress

Bill overview

This bill, the Safeguarding American Education From Foreign Control Act, amends the Higher Education Act to require greater transparency regarding gifts and contracts received by educational institutions from foreign sources. Specifically, it establishes a threshold value and mandates that institutions receiving gifts or contracts meeting that value, particularly those linked to ‘covered nations,’ submit detailed disclosure reports to the Department of Education. The bill also directs the Department of Education to share these reports with the FBI and the Director of National Intelligence.

Key provisions

Institutions owned or controlled by foreign sources must disclose gifts and contracts exceeding a specified threshold.
The threshold value for gifts from non-covered nations is $250,000, while for gifts from covered nations, any value triggers disclosure.
Disclosure reports are due January 31st or July 31st each year.
The Department of Education must share disclosure reports with the FBI and the Director of National Intelligence.
The bill redesignates and renumbers existing sections of the Higher Education Act.
The bill defines ‘covered nation’ using a specific section of the U.S. Code.
The Department of Education must transmit all relevant records to the FBI and DNI within 90 days of the bill’s enactment.
The bill amends section 117 of the Higher Education Act to implement these changes.

Who is affected

Higher education institutions
Foreign entities providing gifts or contracts to educational institutions

Positions across the country

No public positions recorded for this legislation.

Arguments in favor

Reasons to support this legislation.

No arguments in favor have been submitted.

Submit yours

Arguments opposed

Reasons to oppose this legislation.

No arguments opposed have been submitted.

Submit yours

Legislative history

2025-04-07Senate

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

2025-04-07

Introduced in Senate

Read the latest version inline or switch to a previous version.

Apr 7, 2025XMLView source

119th CONGRESS — 1st Session

S. 1317

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

A BILL

To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require additional disclosures relating to gifts and contracts from foreign sources.

1.Short title

This Act may be cited as the

Safeguarding American Education From Foreign Control Act

2.Disclosures of foreign gifts

(a)Additional disclosures required

Section 117 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1011f) is amended—

(1)

by striking subsection (a) and inserting the following:

(a)Disclosure report

(1)In generalWhenever any institution is owned or controlled by a foreign source, or receives a gift from or enters into a contract with a foreign source that equals or exceeds the threshold value described in paragraph (2), the institution shall file a disclosure report with the Secretary on January 31 or July 31, whichever is sooner.

(2)Threshold value

For purposes of subsection (a), the threshold value of a gift from or contract from a foreign source is—

(A)in the case of a foreign source that is not associated with a covered nation, $250,000 or more, considered alone or in combination with all other gifts from or contracts with that foreign source within a calendar year; and

(B)

in the case of a foreign source that is associated with a covered nation, a gift or contract of any value.

;

(2)

by redesignating subsections (d) through (h) as subsections (e) through (i), respectively;

(3)

by inserting after subsection (c) the following:

(d)Additional submissionsNot later than 10 days after receiving a disclosure report, document, or other record from an institution under this section, the Secretary shall transmit a copy of such report, document, or record to the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Director of National Intelligence.

; and

(4)

in subsection (i), as so redesignated—

(A)

by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (5) as paragraphs (2) through (6); and

(B)

by inserting before paragraph (2), as so redesignated, the following:

(1)the term covered nation has the meaning given that term in section 4872(f)(2) of title 10, United States Code;

(b)Transmittal of records to FBI and DNINot later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Education shall transmit to the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Director of National Intelligence—

(1)any report, document, or other record received by the Department of Education under section 117 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1011f), regardless of the date on which the record was received or the status of the case to which the record pertains; and

(2)any report, document, or other record generated by the Department of Education in the course of an investigation into the compliance of an institution with such section.

S 1317

Bill overview

Key provisions

Who is affected

Sponsors

Primary sponsor

Cosponsors

Positions across the country

Arguments in favor

Arguments opposed

Bill text

Notable changes

Fiscal impact

Positions across the country