Colleges must choose: international campuses or federal research funding

What it does

This bill requires U.S. colleges and universities to certify that they do not operate branch campuses in nine specified countries (Venezuela, North Korea, Iran, China, Cuba, Turkey, Russia, Qatar, and any others the State Department designates) in order to receive federal research funding. Institutions must make this certification within two years of the law's enactment. The bill aims to prevent U.S. research dollars from flowing to institutions with educational operations in countries deemed security risks.

Why we flagged it

The bill's operative mechanism is a straightforward eligibility condition—a certification requirement tied to federal funding access. It is a compliance/security measure, not a subsidy, deregulation, or commemorative act.

What the text implies

• Institutions with legitimate branch campuses in Turkey or Qatar (U.S. allies with significant higher-ed presence) may face difficult choices between maintaining those operations and accessing federal research funding.
• The 'any other country the Secretary of State determines appropriate' clause grants the executive branch unilateral power to expand the restricted-country list without congressional action, potentially creating regulatory uncertainty for institutions.
• The two-year implementation window may force rapid divestment or closure of existing branch campuses, creating financial and reputational costs for affected institutions.
• The bill does not define what constitutes 'operating' a branch campus—unclear whether partnerships, joint ventures, or minority stakes trigger the restriction.

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

Who it affects

The bill protects U.S. research security and prevents federal funds from supporting operations in adversarial nations—a legitimate public interest. However, it may reduce research funding available to U.S. institutions with legitimate international educational partnerships, potentially limiting academic freedom and international collaboration that benefits American students and researchers.

Named in the bill

Federal research agencies, Institutions of higher education, U.S. Department of State, Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation Act (Public Law 117–167), Venezuela, North Korea, Iran, China, Cuba, Turkey, Russia, Qatar

Where it stands

1 cosponsor: 1 Democrats.

• Apr 28, 2026 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
• Apr 28, 2026 — Referred to House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology”

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

Money around this bill

2 lobbying clients named this bill on 2 disclosure filings across 1 quarter, Jun 2026 to Jun 2026. Those filings disclosed $420,000 in lobbying spend. A filing names 52 bills on average, so that figure is what each filing reported, not a share belonging to this bill.

More lobbying clients named this bill than 41% of bills with at least one filing.

Elise Stefanik, the sponsor, reported $294,750 in PAC receipts in the 2026 cycle.

• Fdd Action — $240,000 on 1 filing
• New York University — $180,000 on 1 filing

Lobbying Disclosure Act filings through Jul 20, 2026. A filing shows who paid to lobby on a bill it names, not what changed.