Combatting University Research Theft Act of 2020

I 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. R. 8356 To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish a task force on deterring and combating intellectual property theft by foreign nations at institutions of higher education and to require such institutions to have in place procedures and protocols to deter and combat such theft, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES SEPTEMBER 23, 2020 Mr. HIGGINS of Louisiana introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor A BILL To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish a task force on deterring and combating intellectual property theft by foreign nations at institutions of higher education and to require such institutions to have in place procedures and protocols to deter and combat such theft, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Combatting University 4 Research Theft Act of 2020’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:18 Oct 04, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8356.IH H8356 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 8356 IH SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF TASK FORCE; CERTIFICATION 1 REQUIREMENT. 2 (a) TASK FORCE.— 3 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 4 the date of the enactment of this section, the Sec- 5 retary of Homeland Security, acting through the Di- 6 rector of the National Intellectual Property Rights 7 Coordination Center, shall establish a task force 8 within the National Intellectual Property Rights Co- 9 ordination Center to develop best practices for insti- 10 tutions of higher education receiving funding for ap- 11 plicable research from the Federal Government for 12 implementing security procedures and protocols that 13 deter and combat theft of intellectual property. 14 (2) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the 15 establishment of the task force under paragraph (1), 16 the Director of the National Intellectual Property 17 Rights Coordination Center shall submit to institu- 18 tions of higher education and Congress a report on 19 the best practices developed by the task force under 20 subsection (a). 21 (b) CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENT.—Each entity of 22 the Federal Government that provides after the date of 23 the enactment of this section funds to an institution of 24 higher education for applicable research shall, as a condi- 25 tion of providing such funds, require such institution to 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:18 Oct 04, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8356.IH H8356 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 8356 IH certify to such entity that the institution has procedures 1 and protocols in place to deter and combat theft of intel- 2 lectual property by foreign nations or agents. 3 (c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 4 (1) APPLICABLE RESEARCH.—The term ‘‘appli- 5 cable research’’ means research determined by the 6 Director of the National Intellectual Property Rights 7 Coordination Center to be applicable. 8 (2) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The 9 term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the 10 meaning given such term in section 101 of the High- 11 er Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001). 12 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:18 Oct 04, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H8356.IH H8356 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS