Sponsors (4)
The bill increases U.S. ability to identify and coordinate responses to PRC-linked risks in European academic collaborations and improves oversight transparency, but it risks damaging transatlantic research partnerships and slowing scientific collaboration.
State and federal policymakers and security/diplomatic officials will receive a country-by-country assessment of PRC-linked risks at European universities, enabling more targeted diplomatic and security responses.
U.S. diplomatic actors and policymakers will get coordinated bilateral and multilateral recommendations to mitigate risky relationships, improving consistency and effectiveness of U.S. engagement with European partners.
Congress and the public (taxpayers) will gain greater transparency about foreign influence risks in academic research through an unclassified strategy (with an optional classified annex), supporting congressional oversight and informed debate.
European research partners and scientists-researchers may face pressure to sever beneficial collaborations with U.S. or PRC-linked counterparts, potentially slowing scientific progress and joint projects.
European universities, researchers, and students could suffer reputational harm or reduced collaboration opportunities if identified as higher-risk, limiting exchanges, funding, and career opportunities.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Directs the State Department to produce, within 180 days, a country-level strategy and briefing on European higher-education and research ties to specified foreign entities of concern and recommend mitigation measures.
Official title: To require the Secretary of State to develop a strategy to identify and mitigate relationships that pose a risk to United States foreign policy interests between certain European institutions and certain covered entities of concern, and for other purposes.
Introduced February 20, 2026 by Ronny Jackson · Last progress February 20, 2026
Requires the State Department to produce, within 180 days of enactment, a strategy and briefing for key congressional committees about European universities and research organizations that have direct or indirect relationships with specified foreign "covered entities of concern" (focused on PRC-linked actors). The strategy must identify, evaluate, and recommend steps to mitigate national-security risks, describe the scale and activities of such entities across European countries, assess vulnerabilities and threats, and offer bilateral and multilateral diplomatic recommendations; a classified annex may be included.