Sponsor
Pat Harrigan
Representative · R-NC
Representative · R-NC
Bars nationals of China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and Cuba from DOE national labs unless the Secretary of Energy issues a written waiver with required consultations and congressional notice.
Official title: To prohibit National Laboratories from admitting certain foreign nationals, and for other purposes.
Introduced August 13, 2026 by Pat Harrigan · Last progress August 13, 2026
The bill strengthens protection of sensitive DOE lab assets and increases oversight of access exceptions, but does so by restricting foreign researcher access in ways that could slow scientific collaboration, disrupt projects, shrink the talent pool, and raise discrimination and oversight-timing concerns.
Scientists, researchers, and the general public: prevents nationals of China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, or Cuba from accessing sensitive DOE lab facilities, reducing the risk that national-security technologies and classified information are compromised.
Secretary of Energy, DOE staff, and security partners: creates a formal waiver process that requires interagency consultation (DOE counterintelligence and a senior FBI official), adding oversight before exceptions are granted.
Congress and taxpayers: requires congressional notification within 30 days of any waiver, improving transparency and legislative oversight over sensitive access decisions.
Scientists, researchers, and technology workers: bars many foreign researchers and visitors from collaborating at DOE labs, which could slow scientific progress and hamper joint projects.
Scientists, research teams, and federal lab staff: could require removal or exclusion of currently approved foreign nationals, disrupting ongoing experiments, projects, and contracts.
National laboratories and taxpayers: may reduce the available talent pool for specialized programs, increasing recruitment costs and slowing work that relies on rare expertise.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Prohibits nationals of China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and Cuba from entering or accessing U.S. Department of Energy national laboratories as short-term visitors or longer-term assignees, while excluding U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents. The Secretary of Energy may grant case-by-case written waivers after consultations with DOE counterintelligence and a senior FBI counterintelligence official, and must notify six specified congressional committees within 30 days of any waiver with details on country, timing, and reasons.