§3369b Oversight of Foreign Influence in Academia

Summary

The Director of National Intelligence must brief the congressional intelligence committees about foreign threats to certain university research. The first briefing had to happen within 180 days after December 20, 2019, and the Director must do it at least once a year after that. The Director will work with parts of the intelligence community and must respect privacy protections for U.S. persons. The briefing is meant to give Congress and affected schools better information and to help protect academic freedom. Definitions: covered institution of higher education — a school listed under 20 U.S.C. 1002 that gets any federal money. Sensitive research subject — research at those schools paid for by the National Intelligence Program or by agencies the Director chooses. The briefing must include lists of: types of sensitive research that could affect national security; foreign actors (governments, companies, nonprofits, and their affiliates) that pose counterintelligence, spying, or other national security risks to that research; any known or suspected attempts by foreign actors to pressure schools, curb speech, spread false information, or influence faculty, researchers, or students; and recommendations for how schools and the intelligence community should work together, including needed law or policy changes. If the Director changes either of the first two lists, the Director must notify the congressional intelligence committees within 30 days.