Securing Innovation and Research from Adversaries Act
- Bill Number
- S. 4525
- Origin Chamber
- Senate
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- International Affairs
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-05-14: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
- Last Updated
- 2026-05-28T20:56:12Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose of the Legislation
This bill aims to prevent the use of federal research funding for collaborations with entities or individuals on U.S. government restricted lists, which primarily target foreign actors posing security risks.
Key Provisions Outlined
- Prohibition: Federal funds from a "federally funded research award" cannot support any research collaboration with an entity on a U.S. government restricted list or an associated individual.
- Covered Parties: The rule applies to individuals or entities that participate in, receive, or perform work under such an award.
- Implementation Guidance: The Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy must issue government-wide guidance on compliance, definitions, and enforcement, in consultation with relevant agencies.
- Waiver Process: Agency heads may grant case-by-case waivers if the collaboration advances U.S. national security or serves a defined scientific, public health, or national security purpose that cannot be achieved otherwise. A report to Congress is required within 30 days, detailing the recipient, justification, and any protective measures.
- Broad Definitions:
- "Research collaboration" includes joint projects, co-authorship, data sharing, joint facilities, personnel exchanges, and similar activities.
- "Federally funded research award" covers grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, and other federal assistance.
- "United States Government restricted entity lists" encompass multiple existing lists, such as the Commerce Department's Entity List, Treasury's SDN list, various China-focused lists (e.g., military companies, academic institutions, semiconductor firms), and others related to forced labor or telecommunications security.
Significant Changes to Existing Law Introduced
The legislation creates a new, explicit prohibition on using federal research funds for collaborations with restricted foreign entities, expanding beyond prior restrictions by standardizing rules across agencies and defining "research collaboration" in detail. It incorporates and references numerous pre-existing restricted lists without altering them, while adding mandatory waiver reporting to Congress.
Potential Impacts on Government Agencies, Citizens, or International Relations
- Government Agencies: Federal research funding bodies must enforce the ban, issue compliance guidance, and manage waiver requests with congressional notifications, potentially increasing administrative workload.
- Citizens and Research Community: U.S. researchers and institutions receiving federal awards face limits on international partnerships, which could affect scientific progress in fields involving shared data or joint work.
- International Relations: The measure may reduce collaborations with listed foreign entities, particularly those tied to specific countries, while allowing limited exceptions for critical national needs.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Federal research agencies and the Office of Science and Technology Policy.
- Universities, national laboratories, and other recipients of federal research funding.
- Individual researchers and entities engaged in federally supported work.
- Foreign entities and individuals on the designated restricted lists.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
The bill relies on agency discretion for waivers and guidance, subject to congressional oversight through reporting requirements. It builds on existing national security authorities without creating new constitutional questions in the text, focusing instead on standardizing enforcement across multiple prior lists and definitions.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Recent Actions
- 2026-05-14: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
- 2026-05-14: Introduced in Senate
Bill Versions
- Securing Innovation and Research from Adversaries Act — issued 2026-05-14 — PDF (8 pages)