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Congress·In Committee·12 months ago

Congress Proposes New Disclosure Rules for College Faculty Receiving Foreign Gifts and Contracts

Also known as: Disclose GIFT Act

Legislative Progress

✓ Filed
Review
House
Senate
President

Impact Analysis

Scores: 1 = low, 5 = highSentiment: -5 to +5 (net benefit)

Key Points

  • This bill, introduced by Mr. James, would require professors and staff at large research universities to report any gifts or contracts they receive from foreign sources. Schools would be required to post this information in a public, searchable database on their websites so the public can see these financial ties.
  • Staff must report gifts worth more than a small set amount (currently about $480) and any contracts worth $5,000 or more. If the money or contract comes from a 'country of concern'—such as China, Russia, Iran, or North Korea—staff must report it regardless of the dollar amount, even if the contract is for $0.
  • Colleges and universities that fail to follow these rules face heavy penalties. A first-time violation carries a fine of at least $250,000, while repeat offenders face fines of $500,000 or more. If a school is caught breaking these rules three times, it could be banned from receiving federal student aid money for at least two years.
  • The policy aims to protect American research from foreign interference and spying. Schools would be required to create a formal plan to identify and manage potential risks of foreign agents using gifts or contracts to gather sensitive information from university staff.
EducationNational Security Foreign Policy

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions
Mar 10, 2025House

Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.

Mar 10, 2025

Introduced in House

What Happens Next

Projected impacts based on AI analysis

Universities must have their foreign gift and contract disclosure policies in place

Large research universities and schools receiving Title VI funds would need to create reporting systems, designate compliance officers, and set up public searchable databases within 90 days of the bill becoming law. Faculty and staff would need to understand new reporting obligations.

First annual disclosure reports due from faculty and staff

Covered employees at affected universities would submit their first reports on July 31 of the calendar year after enactment, disclosing foreign gifts and contracts from the previous year. Within 30 days, anonymized versions would appear in public databases on university websites.

Related News

3 articles
Jewish Insider·about 1 year ago

House Committee advances university foreign donations disclosure bill

The House Education and Workforce Committee advanced the DETERRENT Act, which incorporates the Disclose GIFT Act's requirements for faculty to report foreign gifts and contracts. The bill lowers reporting thresholds and mandates a public database to reveal ties to 'countries of concern.'

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Politico·about 2 years ago

House passes college foreign funding bill with bipartisan support

House lawmakers approved the DETERRENT Act (H.R. 5933) in a 246-170 vote. The legislation, which includes provisions from Rep. John James' Disclose GIFT Act, tightens reporting requirements for foreign gifts and contracts, lowering the threshold to $50,000 for most countries and $0 for adversaries.

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The Hill·about 2 years ago

House passes bill to increase transparency of foreign gifts to universities

The House passed the DETERRENT Act, aiming to close loopholes in Section 117 of the Higher Education Act. The bill requires individual faculty and staff at research-heavy institutions to disclose foreign gifts and implements heavy fines for non-compliance, including the loss of federal student aid.

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Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Disclose GIFT Act

Bill NumberHR 1999
Congress119th Congress
ChamberHouse of Representatives
Latest ActionReferred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.

Sponsor

Cosponsors

(1)
R: 1

Analysis generated by AI. While we strive for accuracy, this should not be considered legal or professional advice. Always verify information with official government sources.