Summary

Creates tougher criminal penalties for certain economic espionage when the conduct is done to advance the interests of a "covered nation," and adds an unspecified amendment to the Espionage Act provision that governs gathering, transmitting, or losing defense information. For economic espionage, the bill sets two tiers of increased individual penalties (including multi-year prison terms and large fines, plus ineligibility for supervised release) and a high organizational penalty tied to either a fixed amount or a multiple of the value of the stolen trade secret. The change also defines when disclosure of nonpublic information about critical infrastructure counts as causing "severe harm." The amendment to the Espionage Act is noted but the specific text is not provided, so its exact effect is uncertain.

• Increases criminal penalties for economic espionage when done to advance the interests of a "covered nation."
• Creates two tiers of individual penalties: basic (10–15 years) and aggravated (10–20 years) imprisonment, each with fines up to $5 million and no supervised release eligibility.
• Establishes a large organizational penalty equal to the greater of $20 million or five times the value of the stolen trade secret (including avoided R&D/reproduction costs).
• Defines "severe harm to economic or national security" to include transmitting nonpublic critical infrastructure information that could cause incapacitation or destruction if exploited.
• Adds unspecified amendments to the Espionage Act's provision on defense information (18 U.S.C. § 793), creating uncertainty about new elements or penalties.
• Does not provide funding, implementation timelines, or reporting requirements.
• Relies on definitions elsewhere in law (e.g., "covered nation"), so applicability depends on cross-references and judicial interpretation.
• Targets both individuals and organizations, increasing exposure for companies that hold trade secrets and organizations involved in critical infrastructure or defense work.
• Will increase prosecutorial leverage and potential civil/contractual consequences for mishandling protected information.