Bill > SB399

This bill establishes the "Research and Education Protection Act of 2026" and creates the Louisiana Higher Education Research Security Council, effective January 1, 2027, to safeguard Louisiana's research and educational systems from foreign adversaries, which are defined as foreign governments or individuals determined by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce to be a threat to national security. The Council, composed of various state officials, university representatives, and law enforcement liaisons, will develop research security policies, provide training, and vet any gifts, contracts, or academic/research partnerships with foreign adversary sources, with the authority to veto such arrangements. Institutions of higher education must reject offers from foreign adversaries unless they undergo a federal risk assessment and receive Council approval, and they are prohibited from entering into contracts with foreign adversaries linked to their military or intelligence apparatus or funded by specific U.S. departments. The bill also mandates disclosure of foreign recruitment program participation by applicants, prohibits certain entities like Confucius Institutes from operating on campus, and increases penalties for the theft of trade secrets from Louisiana institutions on behalf of foreign adversaries. Furthermore, it requires institutions to review and eliminate foreign educational software and prohibits employees from accepting certain foreign travel or gifts from foreign adversaries, with reporting requirements to the Council. Existing agreements will be allowed to continue but cannot be renewed without adhering to these new provisions.