Sponsors (4)
The bill strengthens U.S. ability to identify and coordinate responses to PRC-linked risks in European academic settings and increases congressional transparency, but risks undermining European–U.S. research collaboration and slowing scientific progress.
State governments and U.S. policymakers will receive a country-by-country assessment of PRC-linked risks at European universities, enabling more targeted diplomatic and security responses.
State governments and U.S. diplomatic actors will get coordinated bilateral and multilateral recommendations to mitigate risky relationships with PRC-linked entities, improving consistency of U.S. engagement.
Congress and U.S. taxpayers will gain greater transparency about foreign influence in academic research through an unclassified strategy (with an optional classified annex), improving oversight and accountability.
European universities, students, and researchers may suffer reputational harm, reduced collaboration, and pressure to sever beneficial ties with PRC-linked partners, which could slow scientific progress and limit opportunities.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires the State Department to produce a strategy and briefing within 180 days assessing European higher-education and research institutions’ ties to specified PRC-linked entities and recommending mitigation steps.
Introduced February 20, 2026 by Ronny Jackson · Last progress February 20, 2026
Requires the State Department’s Under Secretary for Political Affairs to produce, within 180 days of enactment, a strategy and briefing for Congressional foreign affairs committees that assesses and recommends how to identify, evaluate, and mitigate relationships between European higher-education and research institutions and specified PRC-linked “covered entities of concern.” The strategy must map scope and activities by country, analyze vulnerabilities and national security risks to the United States and European partners, offer bilateral and multilateral diplomatic recommendations, and may include a classified annex.