A bill to prohibit contracts between certain foreign entities and institutions of higher education conducting Department of Defense-funded research and to impose post-employment restrictions for participants in certain research funded by the Department, and for other purposes.

2/7/2025, 11:56 AM

Summary of Bill S 418

Bill 119 s 418, also known as the "Foreign Influence Transparency in Research Act," aims to address concerns about foreign influence in research conducted by institutions of higher education that receive funding from the Department of Defense (DoD). The bill seeks to prohibit these institutions from entering into contracts with certain foreign entities that may pose a risk to national security.

Additionally, the bill includes provisions for imposing post-employment restrictions on individuals who participate in research projects funded by the DoD. This is intended to prevent individuals from using their knowledge and expertise gained from DoD-funded research for the benefit of foreign entities that may be hostile to the United States.

Overall, the goal of Bill 119 s 418 is to enhance transparency and accountability in research conducted by institutions of higher education that receive DoD funding, and to safeguard national security interests. The bill does not appear to have any partisan bias and focuses solely on addressing potential threats posed by foreign influence in research.

Congressional Summary of S 418

Defending Defense Research from Chinese Communist Party Espionage Act of 2025

This bill generally prohibits contracts between certain foreign entities and institutions of higher education that are conducting research funded by the Department of Defense (DOD), and it imposes a post-employment restriction on principal investigators of certain DOD-funded research projects.

Beginning on January 1, 2027, the bill generally prohibits institutions of higher education that conduct DOD-funded research from entering into contracts with North Korea, China, Russia, or Iran or a foreign entity of concern (e.g., an academic institution of China that meets certain criteria). DOD is prohibited from providing funds to such institutions unless the institution receives a waiver.

Institutions seeking to contract with the listed countries or entities, and those with existing contracts, must submit waiver requests to DOD. Waivers are valid for one year. Institutions with contracts that are longer than one year may apply to renew the waiver for an additional one-year period.

The bill also generally imposes a post-employment restriction on individuals who serve as principal investigators of certain defense research projects, unless DOD waives the restriction. Specifically, for the 10 years following their employment as a principal investigator, an individual may not seek or accept employment or conduct any activity for which a foreign entity of concern provides compensation. This applies to principal investigators of projects that are (1) operated by an institution of higher education; (2) funded by DOD; and (3) involve a critical or emerging technology, as determined by DOD.

Current Status of Bill S 418

Bill S 418 is currently in the status of Bill Introduced since February 5, 2025. Bill S 418 was introduced during Congress 119 and was introduced to the Senate on February 5, 2025. Bill S 418's most recent activity was Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services. as of February 5, 2025

Bipartisan Support of Bill S 418

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Policy Area and Potential Impact of Bill S 418

Primary Policy Focus

Alternate Title(s) of Bill S 418

A bill to prohibit contracts between certain foreign entities and institutions of higher education conducting Department of Defense-funded research and to impose post-employment restrictions for participants in certain research funded by the Department, and for other purposes.