Austin News

U.S. Senators John Cornyn and Alex Padilla have introduced a bill aimed at protecting American research from foreign adversaries by amending the CHIPS and Science Act. The proposed legislation seeks to update existing language to prevent malign foreign influence on U.S. scientific endeavors.

"In a world where competition turns into hostility all too often, we must do everything in our power to safeguard American ingenuity against bad actor nations," stated Senator Cornyn. He emphasized that the legislation aims to ensure American scientific research does not fall into the wrong hands.

Senator Padilla highlighted the importance of this legislative move, noting, "The bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act included important provisions to bolster our research security." He added that the new bill would provide clarity for federal agencies and academic institutions, enhancing national security while maintaining essential international partnerships crucial for America's innovation economy.

The issue stems from Malign Foreign Talent Programs operated by countries such as Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea. These programs seek to acquire American scientific research through various means, including incentivizing or coercing researchers. The current law only addresses programs that directly offer incentives to researchers. The new legislation proposes expanding this definition to include indirect benefits, closing loopholes that could be exploited by foreign adversaries.