Iowa lawmakers moved a bill to committee Tuesday that would require state colleges to create annual reports on foreign funding. (Photo illustration with Capitol photo by Iowa Capital Dispatch and background via Getty Images)
Members of an Iowa House Higher Education subcommittee passed legislation Tuesday that would require universities to report foreign funding, something an Iowa Board of Regents representative said institutions already do.
House Study Bill 54 would require state universities to craft annual reports on foreign funding amounting to $50,000 or more, including its total, source and purpose. Foreign sources are defined in the bill as foreign governments and their agencies, legal entities formed by foreign governments, non-American citizens and those acting on behalf of foreign agencies.
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Funding the universities would be required to report include contracts, gifts, grants, payment for services, capital investments, wages and salaries, among others. An exception to this named in the bill is a foreign natural citizen’s payment of tuition and other fees to attend a state university.
Universities would need to produce the report by Dec. 31 each year and have it accessible online by Jan. 15 annually. The bill also gives the attorney general authority to compel universities to provide these reports.
Iowa Board of Regents State Relations Officer Keith Saunders said during the subcommittee meeting state universities already complete reports similar to the one proposed in the legislation twice a year, which they provide to the federal government. The board agrees with the spirit of the bill, but they’ve offered an amendment to fit its language with what the board already reports to the U.S. Department of Education, “if it still exists,” he said.
When asked whether the board of regents has seen any foreign interference in state universities, Saunders said he can’t recall anything beyond an instance of intellectual property theft at Iowa State University some years ago.
“We work very closely with all levels of law enforcement to ensure that nothing (happens),” Saunders said.
Andy Conlin, representing State Shield, said during the meeting there are gaps in federal reporting that lead to a lack of knowledge about what exactly foreign funds are going toward and who they’re from, and this legislation will help fill those gaps so state lawmakers can know more about these interactions. State Shield is an advocacy organization that stands against “CCP threats to U.S. peace, security, and values,” according to its website.
Thirteen states currently have bills applying to foreign funding at public universities, Conlin said.
Rep. Ross Wilburn, D-Ames, asked fellow subcommittee member Rep. John Wills, R-Spirit Lake, and subcommittee chair Rep. Jeff Shipley, R-Birmingham, if higher education committee chair Rep. Taylor Collins, R-Mediapolis, has spoken with the attorney general’s office about this and other legislation pertaining to them, and said staff there should be given notice.
Shipley said he’s happy to look at any “friendly amendments” to the bill that help fulfill its goal of providing the Legislature and public with more knowledge about university funding.
“I think it’s a very interesting area,” Shipley said. “You said that it’s already duplicating something, it could be some useful information so we’re aware of what is occurring.”
The bill will move to the full Higher Education Committee for consideration.
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