# Plain Language Summary: The CONFUCIUS Act

This bill addresses Confucius Institutes, which are cultural and educational centers located on American college campuses that receive funding from the Chinese government. The bill essentially says that colleges and universities can't receive most federal education funding unless they put strict controls on these institutes. The goal is to make sure that American schools maintain full independence over what gets taught and researched at these centers, rather than having the Chinese government influence educational content.

Here's what the bill actually requires: If a college hosts a Confucius Institute and wants to keep receiving federal education money, the school must have a contract with the institute that includes three key protections. First, the contract must protect academic freedom—meaning professors and researchers can't be told what they can or can't study or teach. Second, Chinese law can't be applied on campus; American law governs what happens there. Third, and most importantly, the college must have complete control over the institute, including decisions about what's taught, what activities happen, what research gets funded, and who gets hired.

The bill doesn't ban Confucius Institutes outright, so colleges can still host them if they want. However, schools that don't agree to these terms would lose most federal education funding, which is a significant financial consequence. This mainly affects larger universities that receive substantial federal grants and student aid. The practical impact is that colleges would need to renegotiate their agreements with Confucius Institutes to ensure they maintain full control, or they'd need to close these centers to keep their federal funding intact.

CONFUCIUS Act

Gonzalez, Anthony

Concerns Over Nations Funding University Campus Institutes in the United States Act or the CONFUCIUS Act This bill addresses China's influence on postsecondary educational institutions through Confucius Institutes, which are cultural institutes directly or indirectly funded by the Chinese government. Specifically, the bill establishes requirements for postsecondary educational institutions that receive federal funding and that have contracts or agreements with Confucius Institutes. The contracts or agreements must include clear provisions that (1) protect the academic freedom of the institutions; (2) prohibit the application of foreign law on the institutions' campuses; and (3) grant full managerial authority of the institutes to the institutions, including full control over teaching plans, activities, research grants, and employment decisions.