Preventing Research Ownership Transfer to External Competitive Threats (PROTECT) Act of 2026

This bill would bar U.S. colleges and universities, and their faculty, staff, and students, from selling, licensing, or otherwise transferring rights to their research to the governments of certain nations. These nations include Russia, China, Iran, nations at war with the United States, nations that support designated terrorist groups or are named State Sponsors of Terrorism, and other nations the Secretary of State finds to be a national security threat. Universities that violate the ban could face civil fines of up to $500,000 per violation, or up to $5,000,000 per violation if national security may be affected, and any money received could be seized by the federal government. The Attorney General would enforce the penalties, and the Secretary of State's determinations under the bill could not be reviewed by courts except for constitutional claims.

Full text and official record on Congress.gov

Sponsors

• Troy E. Nehls Republican sponsor
• 1 cosponsors