Protecting Academic Integrity Act of 2026

Key Points

• Colleges and universities would have to tell the government about any gifts or contracts from foreign countries worth $50,000 or more. Right now, they only have to report these if they are worth $250,000 or more.
• Schools would need to provide more details about where the money is coming from. This includes naming the specific foreign government office or agency that sent the money and explaining what the money is supposed to be used for.
• If a school does not know the exact reason for a gift, they must report how they plan to spend it and which department on campus will get the funds. This is meant to make it clearer how foreign money influences different parts of a university.
• The government would also check on how well schools are following these rules. A special watchdog group would study why some schools might be failing to report their foreign funding and suggest ways to improve the system.
• These new rules would start one year after the bill becomes law. This gives colleges time to set up their reporting systems and make sure they are following the new requirements correctly.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.