Title 42The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-73

§19231 Requirements for foreign talent recruitment programs

Title 42 › Chapter CHAPTER 163— - RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, COMPETITION, AND INNOVATION › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER VI— - MISCELLANEOUS SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY PROVISIONS › Part Part C— - Research Security › § 19231

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Ban staff at federal research agencies from taking part in foreign talent recruitment programs, and stop people tied to agency research awards from joining malign versions of those programs. The Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) must write and share a single set of rules within 180 days after August 9, 2022. The rules must bar all agency personnel — such as federal employees, contractors, visiting scientists and educators, and special appointees — from joining these programs, except peer reviewers. They must also require covered individuals to report any contract or agreement with such a program, block award funding for proposals that include someone in a malign program, and, where possible, make recipient institutions keep those people off funded projects. OSTP must explain what counts as a foreign talent recruitment program. Each federal research agency must adopt a policy using OSTP’s rules within one year after August 9, 2022, and OSTP must try to keep the agencies’ policies consistent.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §19231

The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The purpose of this part is to direct actions to prohibit participation in any foreign talent recruitment program by personnel of Federal research agencies and to prohibit participation in a malign foreign talent recruitment program by covered individuals involved with research and development awards from those agencies.
(b)Not later than 180 days after August 9, 2022, the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, in coordination with the interagency working group established under section 1746 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (42 U.S.C. 6601 note; Public Law 116–92), shall publish and widely distribute a uniform set of guidelines for Federal research agencies regarding foreign talent recruitment programs. Such policy guidelines shall—
(1)prohibit all personnel of each Federal research agency, including Federal employees, contract employees, independent contractors, individuals serving under the Intergovernmental Personnel Act of 1970 (42 U.S.C. 4701 et seq 11 So in original. Probably should be followed by a period. ), Visiting Scientist, Engineering, and Educator appointments, and special government employees other than peer reviewers, from participating in a foreign talent recruitment program;
(2)as part of the requirements under section 6605 of this title, require covered individuals to disclose if such individuals are a party to a foreign talent recruitment program contract, agreement, or other arrangement;
(3)prohibit research and development awards from being made for any proposal in which a covered individual is participating in a malign foreign talent recruitment program; and
(4)to the extent practicable, require recipient institutions to prohibit covered individuals participating in malign foreign talent recruitment programs from working on projects supported by research and development awards.
(c)As part of the guidance under subsection (b), the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall define and describe the characteristics of a foreign talent recruitment program.
(d)Not later than one year after August 9, 2022, each Federal research agency shall issue a policy utilizing the guidelines under subsection (b).
(e)The Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall ensure that the policies issued by the Federal research agencies under subsection (d) are consistent to the greatest extent practicable.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The Intergovernmental Personnel Act of 1970, referred to in subsec. (b)(1), is Pub. L. 91–648, Jan. 5, 1971, 84 Stat. 1909, which is classified principally to chapter 62 (§ 4701 et seq.) of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 4701 of this title and Tables.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 19231

Title 42The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73