YourVoice.Now Summary
Transparency & AccountabilityCivil LibertiesAverage Household ImpactFaculty at big research universities would report foreign gifts and contracts — public database, six-figure fines.
Transparency & Accountability
- Foreign gift disclosure — Faculty and staff must report foreign gifts and contracts yearly
- Public database — Disclosures posted in searchable, downloadable form on the school's site
- Congressional status updates — Department reports pending investigations every 90 days
- Penalties for non-disclosure — $250,000 first violation, $500,000 or double the amount after
- GAO study — Comptroller General reviews enforcement coordination and reports in 3 years
Civil Liberties
- Anonymity of disclosing individuals — Names kept on record for investigations and FOIA requests
Average Household Impact
- Federal student-aid eligibility — Lost 2+ years at a school after a third enforcement action
The details
Universities would have to track their employees' foreign money. Faculty and staff at large research institutions must report gifts and contracts from foreign sources each year. Gifts above a minimal value count. So do contracts worth $5,000 or more. Contracts with a foreign country or entity of concern must be reported at any value. The full text of those contracts must be included. Each institution must post the disclosures in a public, searchable, downloadable database. Names are left out of that public version. The rules cover schools that took more than $50 million in federal research funding in any of the past five years. They also cover schools receiving Title VI funds. The Education Department investigates suspected violations and can ask the Attorney General to sue. A first violation costs at least $250,000. Later violations cost at least $500,000, or double the unreported amount. An institution sued three times loses federal student-aid eligibility for at least two years.
Congressional Summary
Disclose Getting Involved in Foreign Transactions Act or the Disclose GIFT ActThis bill requires certain institutions of higher education (IHEs) to disclose gifts or contracts between covered individuals (e.g., researchers) and foreign sources. This bill applies to an IHE that (1) is an eligible institution for purposes of federal student aid programs, and (2) has received more than $50 million in federal funds in any of the previous five calendar years (with at least part to support research and development) or that receives certain other federal funds.Specifically, the bill requires an IHE to maintaina policy requiring covered individuals employed at the IHE to annually disclose gifts received from, or contracts entered into with, a foreign source;a publicly available and searchable database with the disclosed information, excluding personally identifiable information; and a plan to identify and manage potential information gathering by foreign sources through espionage targeting covered individuals that may arise from such gifts or contracts.The bill requires the Department of Education (ED) to investigate possible violations of this bill and outlines the various penalties for each violation.Additionally, ED must maintain a single point of contact to, among other duties, receive and respond to inquiries and requests for technical assistance from IHEs regarding compliance with the requirements of the bill. IHEs must also establish policies and designate compliance officers.The Government Accountability Office must study and report on ways to improve intergovernmental agency coordination for implementing and enforcing disclosure reporting requirements.
Legislative Subjects
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- House
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Introduced in House
- Action Date
- 2025-03-10
- Date Added
- 2026-07-30
- Source
- Congress.gov →
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