North Charlotte Today

Washington, D.C. - The House of Representatives has passed the Defending Education Transparency and Ending Rogue Regimes Engaging in Nefarious Transactions (DETERRENT) Act, a significant step towards bringing transparency and accountability to foreign gift reporting requirements in American colleges and universities. Senator Thom Tillis, who introduced the Senate version of the legislation last month, applauded the House for this important milestone.

The DETERRENT Act is a response to the Biden Administration's failure to open any investigations under Section 117 of the Higher Education Act, which is the most significant tool for protecting against threats from foreign adversaries. A Senate report from 2019 revealed that up to 70 percent of institutions failed to comply with Section 117. This lack of compliance, along with the loose legislative language and the administration's weakening of enforcement efforts, has allowed billions of dollars in foreign funds to infiltrate the country undetected.

Senator Tillis emphasized the urgency of addressing this issue, stating, "America's foreign adversaries, including the Chinese Communist Party, are targeting our nation's students by stealing research, spewing anti-American propaganda, and censoring free speech through funding opportunities in American academic institutions." He commended the House for passing the DETERRENT Act and called on the Senate to swiftly consider the legislation.

The DETERRENT Act includes several key provisions aimed at strengthening the reporting requirements for foreign gifts:

1. It lowers the reporting threshold for colleges and universities from $250,000 to $50,000, with an even stricter threshold of $0 for countries of concern.

2. It closes reporting loopholes and ensures transparency to Congress, intelligence agencies, and the public.

3. It requires disclosure of foreign gifts to individual staff and faculty at research-heavy institutions, providing protection to those who are targeted the most by foreign adversaries.

4. It holds large private institutions accountable by requiring them to reveal concerning foreign investments in their endowments.

5. It establishes penalties such as fines and the loss of Title IV funding for colleges and universities that fail to comply with foreign gift reporting.

The passage of the DETERRENT Act in the House is a crucial step towards safeguarding American academic institutions from malicious foreign influence. It will provide much-needed transparency and accountability, ensuring that colleges and universities are aware of and report any foreign gifts they receive. By addressing the loopholes and strengthening enforcement measures, the legislation aims to protect the integrity of education and research in the United States.

The full text of the DETERRENT Act can be found [HERE](link). For a summary of the legislation, click [HERE](link).

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For additional details, please follow this link: https://www.tillis.senate.gov/2023/12/tillis-applauds-house-passage-of-legislation-to-deter-malicious-foreign-influence-in-postsecondary-education