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Congress·In Committee·19 days ago

House Bill Would Bar Universities from Transferring Research to China, Russia Under PROTECT Act

Also known as: Preventing Research Ownership Transfer to External Competitive Threats (PROTECT) Act of 2026

Legislative Progress

✓ Filed
Review
House
Senate
President

Impact Analysis

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

State Impacts

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

Key Points

  • This bill stops U.S. universities, their teachers, and students from selling or giving their research and inventions to certain foreign governments. This includes things like patents, secret data, and new technology developed on campus.
  • The ban targets specific countries that the government considers a threat, including China, Russia, and Iran. It also covers any country that supports terrorism or is currently in a fight with the United States.
  • Schools that break these rules could face huge fines. If the research isn't a threat to national security, the fine is up to $500,000. If the research involves sensitive topics like energy or defense, the fine can jump to $5 million.
  • The government can also take away any money the university made from the illegal deal. The Secretary of State will have the final say on which countries are off-limits and how dangerous the research is.
EducationNational Security Foreign PolicyTechnology Digital

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions
Feb 11, 2026House

Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.

Feb 11, 2026

Introduced in House

What Happens Next

Projected impacts based on AI analysis

Upon enactment, if the bill passes

If passed, the ban on IP transfers to prohibited nations takes effect immediately upon enactment

Universities would need to immediately stop any pending or future deals that transfer research IP to governments of China, Russia, Iran, and other designated countries. Existing contracts would not be affected, but no new agreements could be signed.

Within 6-12 months of enactment

Universities develop compliance programs to screen research agreements

Schools would need new internal review processes to make sure no research deals violate the law. This could slow down some international partnerships and add administrative costs, especially at large research universities.

Related News

2 articles
Export Compliance Daily·19 days ago

Bill Would Restrict University Exports of Intellectual Property

The PROTECT Act of 2026 targets the transfer of research and inventions from U.S. campuses to adversarial governments. Violations involving sensitive defense or energy research could result in fines up to $5 million, while non-security threats carry penalties up to $500,000.

C=
The Lion·19 days ago

Rep. Troy Nehls moves to prevent US universities from 'compromising the security of our nation'

The Preventing Research Ownership Transfer to External Competitive Threats (PROTECT) Act of 2026 targets universities that sell research and inventions to adversarial nations, imposing fines up to $5 million for national security-related breaches.

R+

Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Preventing Research Ownership Transfer to External Competitive Threats (PROTECT) Act of 2026

Bill NumberHR 7510
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.