Congress tightens espionage penalties for foreign-directed theft of U.S. secrets.

What it does

This bill increases criminal penalties for economic espionage and theft of defense secrets when committed on behalf of foreign adversaries (defined by reference to a Defense Department list of 'covered nations'). It mandates minimum prison sentences of 10–15 years for individuals stealing trade secrets for foreign powers, up to 20 years if the theft causes severe harm to critical infrastructure; organizations face fines up to $20 million or five times the value of stolen secrets. The bill also raises penalties for unauthorized disclosure of defense information to a minimum of 15 years imprisonment when done for a covered nation.

Why we flagged it

The bill's operative mechanism is straightforward: it amends existing espionage statutes to impose mandatory minimum sentences when the offense is committed on behalf of a foreign adversary. This is criminal-law enforcement, not a subsidy, carve-out, or deregulation.

What the text implies

• The bill references 'covered nation' as defined in section 4872 of title 10 (Defense Department code), which is not provided in the text. The actual scope of penalties depends on which nations the DoD designates—a definition that could shift with executive policy without legislative amendment.
• The 'severe harm' standard for enhanced penalties (10–20 years vs. 10–15 years) turns on whether stolen information relates to critical infrastructure and 'would pose a significant threat of incapacitation or destruction.' This is a fact-intensive standard that may create sentencing disputes and appellate litigation.
• Organizations face fines up to 5× the value of stolen trade secrets, including 'expenses for research and design and other costs of reproducing the trade secret.' Valuation of trade secrets is notoriously difficult and contested; this could lead to extreme fine disparities depending on how courts calculate 'value.'
• The bill does not define 'advance the interests of a covered nation'—it is unclear whether a U.S. citizen stealing secrets for personal profit but selling to a foreign buyer, or a foreign national acting without explicit government direction, would trigger the mandatory minimums.

Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.

Who it affects

The bill strengthens criminal deterrence against espionage that harms U.S. economic and national security, protecting citizens from foreign theft of critical infrastructure designs and trade secrets that could endanger public safety or economic stability. The mandatory minimums are substantial but proportionate to the severity of the conduct (foreign-directed theft of defense or critical-infrastructure information), and the bill does not restrict citizens' rights, remedies, or lawful conduct.

Named in the bill

Department of Defense, Section 4872 of title 10 (covered nation definition), Section 1016 of USA PATRIOT Act (critical infrastructure definition), 18 U.S.C. § 1831 (economic espionage), 18 U.S.C. § 793 (defense information)

Where it stands

8 cosponsors: 7 Republicans, 1 Democrats.

• Jun 23, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
• Jun 23, 2025 — Referred to House Committee on the Judiciary · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.