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LouisianaSB 3992026 Regular SessionSenateWALLET

COLLEGES/UNIVERSITIES: Creates the Louisiana Higher Education Research Security Council. (1/1/27) (EN NO IMPACT See Note)

Sponsored By: Adam Bass (Republican)

Signed by Governor

Education

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

12 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 7 costs, 3 mixed.

College applicants face disclosures with protections

Beginning January 1, 2027, public-college applicants for enrollment, jobs, or research funding must disclose covered foreign-program and entity ties under penalty of perjury. This includes current or former participation in U.S.-identified malign foreign talent recruitment programs or affiliation with entities specified by the law. Colleges must apply disclosure rules uniformly and assess each person's risk; citizenship, nationality, or origin alone cannot decide the outcome. Denying, limiting, or ending an opportunity requires specific facts showing credible espionage, malign influence, unlawful technology transfer, research-integrity, or legal risks. Past, incidental, or nominal political-group membership alone is insufficient, and policies cannot discriminate based on race, ethnicity, national origin, or political affiliation. Written notice and a meaningful chance to respond are required before denial or termination, except for urgent federal-law, public-safety, or national-security needs. Knowingly false or materially misleading disclosures can lead to discipline and possible perjury liability.

Whistleblowers get rewards for hidden funding

Beginning January 1, 2027, whistleblowers reporting undisclosed foreign gifts or contracts involving colleges to Louisiana's attorney general are entitled to a reward. The reward equals 25% of any penalty recovered; no recovered penalty means no reward. Whistleblowers retain state whistleblower-law protections and can direct payment through a designated attorney or trustee.

New council oversees Louisiana college research

Beginning January 1, 2027, the law creates the Louisiana Higher Education Research Security Council, staffed by the Board of Regents. The law covers public colleges and accredited nonprofit colleges with a physical presence in Louisiana. The council sets research-security policies, trains security officers yearly, and reviews covered foreign-adversary gifts, contracts, and partnerships. Its reviews exclude trade secrets and confidential information protected by nondisclosure agreements. Colleges report annually by July 1; Regents reports statewide information to the governor and legislative leaders annually by January 31. The council reports by January 31 of each even-numbered year and can hire an intelligence firm only with appropriated money. Regents, consulting the governor's office, must prioritize research and academic exchanges with U.S. military treaty allies, Israel, and Taiwan. Foreign adversaries are defined by federal regulation, 15 C.F.R. §791.4.

College workers face foreign-contact restrictions

Beginning January 1, 2027, colleges must bar faculty and employees from recruitment programs run by foreign-adversary nations. Employees, researchers, and volunteers cannot accept foreign-adversary-paid travel or lodging in an adversary country tied to their state or local role. Gifts from people representing a foreign adversary are also barred, except when a federal agency, governor, Senate president, or House speaker requests the travel or gift. Covered personnel must report each contact, communication, or meeting with a foreign-adversary representative to the council within 30 days, using its required format. The legislative auditor must provide those reports to the attorney general and Department of Public Safety and Corrections upon request.

Student groups lose foreign-adversary funding options

Beginning January 1, 2027, college-linked student and scholar groups cannot accept gifts or grants from foreign-adversary sources. They also cannot make contracts or agreements with those sources or be directed or controlled by foreign-adversary governments or agents. Colleges must end their affiliation with groups that violate these rules. Member dues and fees are excluded from the gift-and-grant ban.

College trade-secret theft brings higher penalties

Beginning January 1, 2027, stealing or trafficking college trade secrets for a foreign-adversary source carries higher criminal penalties. The offense is charged one classification level above theft of equal value. When the secrets are worth $25,000 or more, the sentence is 5 to 25 years in prison at hard labor.

Colleges face investigations and records deadlines

Beginning January 1, 2027, Louisiana's attorney general must investigate violations referred by an institutional officer or raised through a qualifying sworn complaint. The complaint must rely on substantive information and a reasonable belief of a violation. Authorized institutional agents can request relevant records based on reasonable suspicion. Colleges must provide records within 10 days, unless they agree with the investigating entity on a later deadline. Failure to make required disclosures or provide records becomes a civil violation after a final administrative finding; no penalty amount is specified.

Colleges face limits on cultural exchanges

Beginning January 1, 2027, colleges can make cultural exchange agreements with foreign-adversary sources or controlled entities only for overwhelmingly unmet state or national needs. Agreements cannot restrict the public entity's freedom to make contracts, give foreign sources control over teaching or program values, or promote threats to safety or security. Colleges must share each agreement's substance with federal law enforcement and the council before signing. They cannot proceed if either provides information suggesting the agreement promotes a harmful safety or security agenda.

Public campuses ban covered Chinese-linked organizations

Beginning January 1, 2027, Confucius Institutes and similar covered organizations cannot operate, hold activities, or use Louisiana public-college property. The ban covers entities established, funded, substantially directed, or controlled by the Chinese government, Communist Party, military, intelligence agencies, or specified affiliated groups. Federal lists and designations, along with specified funding or affiliations, help identify substantial direction or control.

Public colleges must remove covered software

Beginning January 1, 2027, Regents and the Office of Technology Services must review public-college educational software linked to foreign adversaries. They must develop a plan to eliminate software from foreign-adversary countries. Required rules ban contracts with educational technology or software providers based in those countries, or owned by entities based there. The contract ban applies only to contracts entered into or renewed after January 1, 2027.

College research partnerships face tighter limits

Beginning January 1, 2027, colleges need council approval to start or renew research partnerships with covered organizations in foreign-adversary countries. They must follow federal export controls and sanctions, run yearly faculty programs on conflicts of interest and commitment, and use formal visitor procedures and standard visiting-scholar agreements. They must also show an overwhelming state interest and no alternative institution for similar work. Colleges and employees cannot enter foreign-adversary contracts or academic or research partnerships for projects funded partly or fully by the U.S. Departments of War, Energy, or Health and Human Services. Such arrangements are also banned when the source has known ties to the adversary's military or intelligence services. Before rejecting or ending a research partnership, the council must give written notice, specific findings, a chance to respond, and an administrative appeal opportunity.

Colleges face checks on foreign offers

Beginning January 1, 2027, colleges must reject foreign-adversary gifts, contracts, and partnership offers of any value unless they use the review process. They must request a federal law-enforcement risk assessment within 30 days of receiving an offer and submit it for council approval. A simple majority of all council members can veto academic or research partnerships. Regents must publicly disclose proposals and decisions, including offers routed through intermediaries; the governor, Senate president, or House speaker can request an audit. Gifts, contracts, and academic or research partnerships already in effect on January 1, 2027, can continue, but renewals require the new process.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

  • Adam Bass

    Republican • Senate

Cosponsors

  • Blake Miguez

    Republican • Senate

  • Chad Michael Boyer

    Republican • House

  • Debbie Villio

    Republican • House

  • Dodie Horton

    Republican • House

  • Emily Chenevert

    Republican • House

  • John E. Wyble

    Republican • House

  • Kellee Hennessy Dickerson

    Republican • House

  • Kim Carver

    Republican • House

  • Michael Robert Bayham Jr.

    Republican • House

  • Peter F. Egan Sr.

    Republican • House

  • Rashid Armand Young

    Democratic • House

  • Stephanie H. Berault

    Republican • House

  • Tony Bacala

    Republican • House

  • Valarie Hodges

    Republican • Senate

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 142 • No: 1

House vote • 5/7/2026

Read third time by title, amended, roll called on final passage, yeas 95, nays 1. Finally passed, ordered to the Senate.

Yes: 95 • No: 1

House vote • 4/28/2026

Reported favorably

Yes: 11 • No: 0

Senate vote • 4/14/2026

Senate floor amendments read and adopted. Read by title and passed by a vote of 36 yeas and 0 nays; ordered reengrossed and sent to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.

Yes: 36 • No: 0

Actions Timeline

  1. Signed by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 505.

    5/29/2026Senate

  2. Effective date 1/1/2027.

    5/29/2026Senate

  3. Signed by the Speaker of the House.

    5/25/2026House

  4. Sent to the Governor by the Secretary of the Senate.

    5/21/2026Senate

  5. Enrolled. Signed by the President of the Senate.

    5/20/2026Senate

  6. Rules suspended. Called from the Calendar.

    5/19/2026Senate

  7. Read by title and returned to the Calendar, subject to call.

    5/18/2026Senate

  8. Received from the House with amendments.

    5/11/2026Senate

  9. Read third time by title, amended, roll called on final passage, yeas 95, nays 1. Finally passed, ordered to the Senate.

    5/7/2026House

  10. Scheduled for floor debate on 05/07/2026.

    5/6/2026House

  11. Read by title, amended, passed to 3rd reading.

    5/5/2026House

  12. Reported with Legislative Bureau amendments.

    4/29/2026House

  13. Reported favorably (11-0). Referred to the Legislative Bureau.

    4/28/2026House

  14. Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Education.

    4/16/2026House

  15. Received in the House from the Senate, read by title, lies over under the rules.

    4/15/2026House

  16. Senate floor amendments read and adopted. Read by title and passed by a vote of 36 yeas and 0 nays; ordered reengrossed and sent to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.

    4/14/2026Senate

  17. Rules suspended. Recalled from Committee.

    4/13/2026Senate

  18. Read by title and passed to third reading and final passage.

    4/13/2026Senate

  19. Read by title. Committee amendments read and adopted; ordered engrossed and recommitted to the Committee on Finance.

    3/30/2026Senate

  20. Reported with amendments.

    3/25/2026Senate

  21. Introduced in the Senate; read by title. Rules suspended. Read second time and referred to the Committee on Education.

    3/9/2026Senate

  22. Prefiled and under the rules provisionally referred to the Committee on Education.

    2/27/2026Senate

Bill Text

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