House Study Bill 54 - Introduced HOUSE FILE _____ BY (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION BILL BY CHAIRPERSON COLLINS) A BILL FOR An Act requiring reporting by regents institutions of funding 1 from certain foreign sources and including effective date 2 provisions. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 1532YC (5) 91 je/jh
H.F. _____ Section 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act shall be known and may be 1 cited as the Combatting Foreign Funding of Higher Education 2 Act. 3 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION . 261K.1 Definitions. 4 1. Contract means any agreement for the acquisition by 5 purchase, lease, or barter of property or services by a foreign 6 source for the direct benefit or use of either of the parties 7 to the agreement. 8 2. Foreign source means any of the following: 9 a. A foreign government, including an agency of a foreign 10 government. 11 b. A legal entity, governmental or otherwise, created solely 12 under the laws of a foreign government. 13 c. An individual who is not a citizen or a national of the 14 United States or a territory or protectorate thereof. 15 d. An agent, including a subsidiary or affiliate of a 16 foreign legal entity, acting on behalf of a foreign source. 17 3. Public institution of higher education means an 18 institution of higher learning governed by the state board of 19 regents. 20 4. Reportable funding means any contract, gift, grant, 21 endowment, award, or donation, payment in exchange for 22 services, capital investment, salary, wage, compensation, fee, 23 or other monetary exchange, including any pledge, promise, 24 agreement, or expressed intention by a foreign source to 25 provide funding which exceeds fifty thousand dollars in value 26 or is expected to exceed fifty thousand dollars in value over 27 the projected length of the funding relationship between the 28 public institution of higher learning and the foreign source. 29 Sec. 3. NEW SECTION . 261K.2 Annual report on foreign 30 funding. 31 Annually by December 31, each public institution of higher 32 education shall prepare a report that includes all of the 33 following information: 34 1. The amount of reportable funding received by the 35 -1- LSB 1532YC (5) 91 je/jh 1/ 3
H.F. _____ institution during the previous fiscal year. 1 2. A description of the type of reportable funding received 2 and the purpose thereof, including whether the funding reported 3 is part of an ongoing relationship with the foreign source. 4 3. A detailed description of the foreign source providing 5 the reportable funding, including the name and address of the 6 entity or individual providing the funding. 7 4. A copy of any contract, agreement, pledge, or memorandum 8 of understanding associated with the reportable funding. 9 Sec. 4. NEW SECTION . 261K.3 Procedures for report. 10 1. Annually by January 15, each public institution of higher 11 education shall post the report required by section 261K.2 12 on the institutions internet site in an easily accessible 13 format and provide the report to the governor and the general 14 assembly. 15 2. Each public institution of higher education shall 16 regularly update the report posted on the institutions 17 internet site. 18 3. A report required by section 261K.2 and any updates to 19 the report are public records for the purposes of chapter 22. 20 Sec. 5. NEW SECTION . 261K.4 Enforcement. 21 The attorney general may bring an action against a public 22 institution of higher education for a writ of mandamus to 23 compel the institution to comply with this chapter. 24 Sec. 6. NEW SECTION . 261K.5 Exception. 25 This chapter does not require reporting of payments made 26 by a natural person who would otherwise qualify as a foreign 27 source for tuition or related fees to support an individual 28 matriculating as a student at a public institution of higher 29 education. 30 Sec. 7. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect January 1, 31 2026. 32 EXPLANATION 33 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 34 the explanations substance by the members of the general assembly. 35 -2- LSB 1532YC (5) 91 je/jh 2/ 3
H.F. _____ This bill requires each regents institution to prepare 1 a report annually by December 31 that includes specified 2 information on certain funding received from foreign sources, 3 as defined in the bill. This information includes the amount, 4 type, and purposes of the funding; a description of the 5 foreign source; and a copy of any contract or similar document 6 associated with the funding. 7 The bill requires each institution to post the report 8 required on the institutions internet site, provide the report 9 to the governor and the general assembly, and update the report 10 regularly. The report and updates are public records. 11 The bill authorizes the attorney general to bring an action 12 against a regents institution for a writ of mandamus to compel 13 the institution to comply with the bill. 14 The bill does not require reporting of payments made by 15 a natural person who would otherwise qualify as a foreign 16 source for tuition or related fees to support an individual 17 matriculating as a student at a regents institution. 18 The bill takes effect January 1, 2026. 19 -3- LSB 1532YC (5) 91 je/jh 3/ 3