# 116-hr-7708: Defend COVID Research from Hackers Act

116-hr-7708, Defend COVID Research from Hackers Act, is a 116th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. McCarthy, Kevin [R-CA-23] (R-CA); status Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned. (as of 2025-11-18).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-7708
- As of: 2025-11-18
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 116-hr-7708
- Congress: 116
- Title: Defend COVID Research from Hackers Act
- Status: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- Introduced: 2020-07-21
- Sponsor: Rep. McCarthy, Kevin [R-CA-23] (R-CA)
- Cosponsors: 33
- Policy area: International Affairs
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2025-11-18

## Summary

Defend COVID Research from Hackers Act This bill authorizes the President to impose visa-blocking, property-blocking, or economic sanctions on a foreign person that is involved in activities that are reasonably likely to result in a significant threat to U.S. national security, foreign policy, public health, economic health, or financial stability. The Department of State must submit a report detailing the extent of known or attempted cyber-enabled activities by foreign persons related to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) and assessing whether those activities qualify for the imposition of sanctions. Further, the bill provides penalties for a person who knowingly traffics in access to a protected computer if the trafficker knows the protected computer has been damaged in a prohibited manner. The bill also authorizes an injunction against a person who causes damage through accessing a protected computer or transmitting a program, information, code, or command to a protected computer.

## Cosponsors (33)

- PETER KING (R-NY), 2020-07-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. LaMalfa, Doug [R-CA-1] (R-CA), 2020-07-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Smith, Jason [R-MO-8] (R-MO), 2020-07-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Crawford, Eric A. "Rick" [R-AR-1] (R-AR), 2020-07-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Balderson, Troy [R-OH-12] (R-OH), 2020-07-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Roe, David P. [R-TN-1] (R-TN), 2020-07-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Thompson, Glenn [R-PA-15] (R-PA), 2020-07-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Babin, Brian [R-TX-36] (R-TX), 2020-07-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Stefanik, Elise M. [R-NY-21] (R-NY), 2020-07-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Fulcher, Russ [R-ID-1] (R-ID), 2020-07-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Timmons, William R. [R-SC-4] (R-SC), 2020-07-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Steube, W. Gregory [R-FL-17] (R-FL), 2020-07-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Smith, Christopher H. [R-NJ-4] (R-NJ), 2020-07-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Kelly, Mike [R-PA-16] (R-PA), 2020-07-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Latta, Robert E. [R-OH-5] (R-OH), 2020-07-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Collins, Doug [R-GA-9] (R-GA), 2020-07-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Wagner, Ann [R-MO-2] (R-MO), 2020-07-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Hern, Kevin [R-OK-1] (R-OK), 2020-07-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Lamborn, Doug [R-CO-5] (R-CO), 2020-07-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Kinzinger, Adam [R-IL-16] (R-IL), 2020-07-31T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Johnson, Mike [R-LA-4] (R-LA), 2020-07-31T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Davis, Rodney [R-IL-13] (R-IL), 2020-07-31T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Joyce, David P. [R-OH-14] (R-OH), 2020-09-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Rice, Tom [R-SC-7] (R-SC), 2020-09-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Yoho, Ted S. [R-FL-3] (R-FL), 2020-07-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Calvert, Ken [R-CA-41] (R-CA), 2020-07-27T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Reschenthaler, Guy [R-PA-14] (R-PA), 2020-07-31T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Pence, Greg [R-IN-6] (R-IN), 2020-07-31T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Wright, Ron [R-TX-6] (R-TX), 2020-07-31T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Riggleman, Denver [R-VA-5] (R-VA), 2020-07-31T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Spano, Ross [R-FL-15] (R-FL), 2020-07-31T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Schweikert, David [R-AZ-1] (R-AZ), 2020-07-31T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Williams, Roger [R-TX-25] (R-TX), 2020-09-04T00:00:00.000Z

## Related bills

- 116-hr-7278: JUSTICE Act
- 116-hr-4305: PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act
- 116-hr-748: CARES Act
- 116-hr-6742: Protecting Life in Crisis Act
- 116-hr-19: Lower Costs, More Cures Act of 2019
- 116-hr-4692: Countering Turkish Aggression Act of 2019

## Sources
- [116-hr-7708 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/7708)

## Related
- [116-hr-7278: JUSTICE Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-7278)
- [116-hr-4305: PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-4305)
- [116-hr-748: CARES Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-748)
- [116-hr-6742: Protecting Life in Crisis Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-6742)
- [116-hr-19: Lower Costs, More Cures Act of 2019](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-19)
- [116-hr-4692: Countering Turkish Aggression Act of 2019](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-4692)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/116-hr-7708 (as of 2025-11-18).