# Plain Language Summary: Protect Our Universities Act of 2021

This bill creates a new government task force to monitor and restrict foreign access to sensitive research happening at American colleges and universities. The concern driving the bill is that students and researchers from countries like China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea might be pressured by their home governments to steal cutting-edge technology and research data developed at U.S. universities. The bill specifically targets research funded by the Department of Defense, Department of Energy, or intelligence agencies—the kinds of projects that could relate to military technology or national security.

Starting one year after the bill passes, universities would need to create a list of all sensitive research projects and identify which ones allow student participation. For any project on this list, foreign students from the four named countries (China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea) would need special approval from the Director of National Intelligence before they could participate. Additionally, universities would be prohibited from using technology developed by certain foreign companies—like Huawei and ZTE—in these sensitive research projects. The bill also requires the new task force to train university officials twice a year on espionage threats and best practices for protecting research.

If a university violates these rules, the government agency funding the research can impose penalties ranging from probation to completely cutting off funding for the project. The bill essentially creates a screening and monitoring system for foreign participation in sensitive university research, with the goal of preventing technology theft. While this could affect international students and researchers seeking to participate in certain projects, it primarily impacts universities that conduct federally funded research in defense, energy, or intelligence-related fields.

Protect Our Universities Act of 2021

Banks, Jim

Protect Our Universities Act of 2021 This bill restricts student participation in sensitive research projects and prohibits the use of certain technologies for these projects. The bill requires each student, prior to participating in a sensitive research project, to provide proof of citizenship to the institution of higher education (IHE) where the project is being carried out. Specifically, it prohibits students who are citizens of certain countries, including China and Russia, from participating in a project unless the student applies for and receives approval from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. It prohibits certain technologies developed by listed entities, including Huawei Technologies Company and ZTE Corporation, from being&nbsp;used to carry out sensitive research projects. It also requires the Department of Education to establish a national security technology task force, which must maintain a list of sensitive research projects and provide guidance to the IHEs where these projects are being carried out.