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Congress·In Committee·H.R. 7510

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

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

about 1 month ago·View on Congress.gov

Legislative Progress

House
Senate
President
Law

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

Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

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

State Impacts

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

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.

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. Always verify with official sources.