Georgia CommonsHouse · Passed · 2025-2026 Regular Session
HB 150: Combating Threats from China Act of 2025 - Higher Education; enact
Last action July 1, 2025 · Effective Date
House Bill 150 would require Georgia's university system to report twice a year to state leaders about money it receives from countries, entities, or individuals tied to designated foreign adversaries like China.
The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the bill and are not part of it. Quote the text, not the summary. The stored text is the Enrolled version, the latest the General Assembly's website lists.
In plain language
Currently, Georgia law has no specific requirement for the university system to track or disclose funding it receives from foreign countries considered adversaries of the United States. HB150 fills in a previously reserved section of state law (O.C.G.A. § 20-3-84) to create that requirement. The bill defines a 'foreign country of concern' as any nation the U.S. Secretary of Commerce has designated a foreign adversary, and extends that label to related entities and individuals connected to those countries. It requires the university system to file a report by January 31 and July 31 each year listing any funding over $1,000 received from these sources, including the amount, type, who provided it, copies of related contracts, and the purpose of the funding. The reports go to the Governor and the legislature's higher education committees. Money that individuals or families pay as tuition is exempted from this reporting requirement.
What the bill does
- Creates a semiannual reporting requirement for the University System of Georgia on funding from foreign countries, entities, or individuals designated as concerns.
- Defines 'foreign country of concern' as any nation labeled a foreign adversary by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce as of February 4, 2025.
- Requires reports due January 31 and July 31 to list the amount, type, source, and purpose of qualifying funding over $1,000, plus copies of related contracts.
- Sends these reports to the Governor, the House Higher Education Committee chair, and the Senate Higher Education Committee chair.
- Exempts tuition and related fee payments made by individuals or families from the reporting requirement.
- Gives the law the short title 'Combating Threats from Foreign Countries of Concern Act of 2025 - Higher Education.'
Who it affects
The University System of Georgia and its governing officials, who must compile and submit the new reports; the Governor and legislative higher education committee chairs, who receive them; and any foreign governments, foreign organizations, or individuals connected to designated adversary nations who provide funding to Georgia's public universities.
Why it matters
Georgians would gain regular public disclosure of financial ties between the state's public university system and countries the federal government treats as adversaries, such as funding for research, salaries, or grants, giving state officials more visibility into potential foreign influence on Georgia campuses.
Key provisions
- Section 1 gives the act its short title, the 'Combating Threats from Foreign Countries of Concern Act of 2025 - Higher Education.'
- Section 2 rewrites the previously reserved O.C.G.A. § 20-3-84 to define 'foreign country of concern,' 'foreign entity of concern,' 'foreign individual of concern,' and 'funding.'
- Section 2 sets the reporting deadlines of January 31 and July 31 each year, covering the two most recent calendar quarters.
- Section 2 lists five required elements of each report: amount, type, source description, related contracts, and purpose of funding.
- Section 2 exempts tuition and fee payments from individuals or families from the reporting requirement.
- Section 3 repeals any conflicting laws.
From the bill
“'Foreign country of concern' means a country whose government is designated as a foreign adversary by the United States Secretary of Commerce pursuant to 15 C.F.R. Section 791.4 in effect on February 4, 2025.”
“'Funding' means any gift, grant, donation, payment in exchange for services, capital investment, salary, wage, compensation, fee, or other monetary exchange in excess of a cumulative total of $1,000.00.”
“This Code section shall not require reporting of funding provided by an individual or a family as payment for tuition or related fees for a student or students affiliated with or attending a university system program, class, or course of study.”
Status timeline
- Effective Date
- Act 127
- House Date Signed by Governor (House)
- House Sent to Governor (House)
- House Agreed Senate Amend or Sub (House)
- Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute (Senate)
- Senate Third Read (Senate)
- Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
Show full history (16 actions)
- Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Senate)
- Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
- House Passed/Adopted By Substitute (House)
- House Third Readers (House)
- House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Tim Fleming (R, HD-114)
- Houston Gaines (R, HD-120)
- Carter Barrett (R, HD-24)
- Mitchell Scoggins (R, HD-14)
- Kasey Carpenter (R, HD-4)
- Katie Dempsey (R, HD-13)
- Clint Dixon (R, SD-45)
Votes
- House voteMarch 6, 2025
145 yea, 22 nay (9 not voting, 4 excused)
- Senate voteMarch 31, 2025
32 yea, 21 nay (1 not voting, 2 excused)
- Senate voteMarch 31, 2025
32 yea, 19 nay (3 not voting, 2 excused)
- House voteApril 4, 2025
98 yea, 64 nay (6 not voting, 12 excused)
Topics
- higher education
- foreign funding disclosure
- university system of georgia
- national security
- China policy