--- title: HB 150. Combating Threats from China Act of 2025 - Higher Education; enact collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hb150 cite_as: HB 150, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb150 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb150.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb150/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69587 date: 2025-05-12 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-08-28 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb149.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb151.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 1495 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb150.md?full=1 bill_number: HB 150 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: bill status_date: 2025-05-12 last_action: Effective Date 2025-07-01 sponsors: - Tim Fleming - Houston Gaines - Carter Barrett - Mitchell Scoggins - Kasey Carpenter - Katie Dempsey - Clint Dixon text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB150/2025 upstream_id: 1945173 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - higher education funding - foreign influence - university system oversight - national security - transparency reporting --- # HB 150. Combating Threats from China Act of 2025 - Higher Education; enact ## Text 25 HB 150/AP House Bill 150 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE) By: Representatives Fleming of the 114th, Gaines of the 120th, Barrett of the 24th, Scoggins of the 14th, Carpenter of the 4th, and others A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend Part 2 of Article 2 of Chapter 3 of Title 20 of the Of ficial Code of Georgia1 Annotated, relating to the university system, so as to require semiannual reports regarding2 certain funding received from foreign countries, entities, or individuals of concern; to provide3 for definitions; to provide for related matters; to provide for a short title; to repeal conflicting4 laws; and for other purposes.5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:6 SECTION 1.7 This Act shall be known and may be cited as the "Combating Threats from Foreign Countries8 of Concern Act of 2025 - Higher Education."9 SECTION 2.10 Part 2 of Article 2 of Chapter 3 of Title 20 of the Official Co de of Georgia Annotated,11 relating to the university system, is amended by revising Code Section 20-3-84, which is12 reserved, as follows:13 "20-3-84.14 (a) As used in this Code section, the term:15 H. B. 150 - 1 - 25 HB 150/AP (1) 'Foreign country of concern' means a country whose government is designated as a16 foreign adversary by the United States Secretary of Commerce pu rsuant to 15 C.F.R.17 Section 791.4 in effect on February 4, 2025.18 (2) 'Foreign entity of concern' means any organization, institution of higher education,19 association, corporation, or other entity organized under the l aws of, or having its20 principal place of business in, a foreign country of concern or a subsidiary of any such21 entity.22 (3) 'Foreign individual of concern' means any official of a foreign country of concern or23 any individual who is domiciled in a foreign country of concern and who is not a citizen24 or lawful permanent resident of the United States.25 (4) 'Funding' means any gift, grant, donation, payment in exchange for services, capital26 investment, salary, wage, compensation, fee, or other monetary exchange in excess of a27 cumulative total of $1,000.00.28 (b) No later than January 31 and July 31 of each year, except as provided in subsection (c)29 of this Code section, the university system shall provide to the Governor, the chairperson30 of the House Committee on Higher Education, and the chairperson of the Senate Higher31 Education Committee a report detailing all funding received by the university system from32 a foreign country of concern, a foreign entity of concern, or a foreign individual of concern33 during the two most recent calendar quarters. Such report shall include:34 (1) The amount of funding received;35 (2) The type of funding, whether a gift, grant, donation, paym ent in exchange for36 services, capital investment, salary, wage, compensation, fee, or other monetary37 exchange;38 (3) A detailed description of the government, entity, or individual providing the funding,39 including the name and address of such government, entity, or individual;40 (4) A copy of any contract, agreement, or memorandum of understanding associated with41 the funding; and42 H. B. 150 - 2 - 25 HB 150/AP (5) Details regarding the purpose of the funding and indicating whether the funding was43 a one-time event or part of a series of funding events.44 (c) This Code section shall not require reporting of funding provided by an individual or45 a family as payment for tuition or related fees for a student o r students affiliated with or46 attending a university system program, class, or course of study. Reserved."47 SECTION 3.48 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.49 H. B. 150 - 3 - ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary. House Bill 150 would require the University System of Georgia to file twice-yearly public reports on funding it receives from countries, entities, or individuals tied to designated foreign adversaries such as China. ### Plain-language summary Currently, Georgia law has no specific requirement for the university system to disclose funding it receives from foreign governments or entities considered national security threats. House Bill 150 fills in a previously reserved section of state law (O.C.G.A. § 20-3-84) to create that requirement. Under the bill, the university system must report to the Governor and the legislature's higher education committees by January 31 and July 31 each year, covering any funding over $1,000 from a 'foreign country of concern' (one designated a foreign adversary by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce), a related foreign entity, or a foreign individual tied to such a country. Reports must detail the amount, type, source, related contracts, and purpose of the funding. Tuition payments from foreign students or their families are exempted from the reporting rule. The bill also gives itself a short title referencing threats from foreign countries of concern. ### What it does - Creates a new reporting requirement for the University System of Georgia covering funding from foreign countries, entities, or individuals designated as concerns. - Defines 'foreign country of concern' by reference to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce's foreign adversary designation as of February 4, 2025. - Requires semiannual reports (by January 31 and July 31) to the Governor and the House and Senate higher education committees. - Specifies that reports must include the funding amount, type, source details, related contracts, and stated purpose. - Exempts tuition and related fee payments from individuals or families from the reporting requirement. - Gives the Act a short title, the 'Combating Threats from Foreign Countries of Concern Act of 2025 - Higher Education.' ### Who it affects The University System of Georgia and its governing board must compile and submit the reports. The Governor and the chairs of the House and Senate higher education committees receive them. Foreign governments, institutions, and individuals connected to designated adversary countries, and international students paying tuition, are also referenced in the bill's scope. ### Why it matters Georgians would gain more visibility into whether public universities are receiving money from governments or entities the federal government considers national security threats. University administrators would face new paperwork obligations, while the exemption for tuition payments means most international students would not be affected. ### Key provisions - Section 1 names the short title as the 'Combating Threats from Foreign Countries of Concern Act of 2025 - Higher Education.' - Section 2 amends O.C.G.A. § 20-3-84 to define 'foreign country of concern,' 'foreign entity of concern,' 'foreign individual of concern,' and 'funding' (over $1,000 cumulative). - Section 2(b) requires semiannual reports by January 31 and July 31 detailing funding amount, type, source, related contracts, and purpose. - Section 2(c) exempts tuition or fee payments made by individuals or families for students attending university system programs. - Section 3 repeals any conflicting laws. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-05-12) - Last action: Effective Date 2025-07-01 (2025-05-12) - Sponsors: Tim Fleming, Houston Gaines, Carter Barrett, Mitchell Scoggins, Kasey Carpenter, Katie Dempsey, Clint Dixon - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69587 > The history, votes, and amendments (1,495 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb150.md?full=1