Imposing certain prohibitions on foreign influence at University of Wisconsin System institutions, the official text

2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
LRB-1378/1
ARG:cdc&skw

2025 ASSEMBLY BILL 663
November 19, 2025 - Introduced by Representatives Dallman, Behnke, Brill, Callahan, Dittrich, Goeben, Green, Knodl, Kurtz, Melotik, Moses, Murphy, Mursau, O'Connor and Wichgers, cosponsored by Senators Tomczyk, Jacque, Nass and Testin. Referred to Committee on Colleges and Universities.

An Act to create 36.46 of the statutes; relating to: imposing certain prohibitions on foreign influence at University of Wisconsin System institutions.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill prohibits, with an exception, University of Wisconsin System institutions from participating in a collaboration agreement, academic partnership, or research partnership with a college or university based in China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela, or Qatar or with the government or regime of any of these countries (foreign adversary) or certain persons or entities associated with these countries (foreign principals). A “collaboration agreement” is a written statement of mutual interest in academic or research collaboration. An “academic partnership” is a faculty or student exchange program, study abroad program, articulation program, recruiting program, or dual degree program. A “research partnership” is an agreement, memorandum of understanding, joint project, consortium, or other collaborative arrangement for the purpose of jointly conducting, funding, or facilitating scientific, technological, engineering, medical, social science, or other scholarly research.
This bill also prohibits, without exception, UW System institutions from accepting any grant from a college or university based in any of these countries or from a foreign adversary or foreign principal.
The bill provides an exception allowing a UW System institution, upon approval by the Board of Regents of the UW System, to enter into a collaboration agreement, academic partnership, or research partnership with a college or university based in any of these countries or with a foreign adversary or foreign principal if 1) the Board of Regents determines that the collaboration agreement, academic partnership, or research partnership is valuable to students and to the UW System institution and is not detrimental to the safety or security of the United States or its residents, and 2) the Board of Regents first requests and receives a national security risk assessment of the proposed collaboration agreement, academic partnership, or research partnership by a federal law enforcement agency. Also, the Board of Regents may not approve such an agreement or partnership if the agreement or partnership would constrain the institution’s freedom of contract or allow the institution’s curriculum or values to be directed or controlled by a foreign adversary or foreign principal. However, in the 2025-27 fiscal biennium, the exception does not apply to, and a UW System institution may not enter into such an agreement or partnership with, Russia. In addition, a UW System institution or researcher may not approve, continue, or enter into a collaboration agreement, academic partnership, or research partnership with a college or university based in any of these countries or with a foreign adversary or foreign principal if any project under the agreement or partnership is funded in full or in part by the U.S. Department of Defense.
The bill also requires the Board of Regents to adopt a policy prohibiting each institution from procuring or using educational software from a prohibited business entity. A “prohibited business entity" is defined to include a company domiciled, incorporated, or headquartered in, or having its principal place of business in, a country controlled by a foreign adversary, as well as a Chinese-controlled company.
The bill also prohibits UW System institutions, and their employees and representatives, from soliciting or accepting gifts in an official capacity, including favors and promises of future employment, from a college or university based in any of these countries or from a foreign adversary or foreign principal. UW System institutions also may not accept anything of value conditioned upon participation in a program to promote the language or culture of any of these countries.
The bill requires the Board of Regents to submit an annual report to the governor and the legislature relating to collaboration agreements, academic partnerships, and research partnerships of UW System institutions, including detailed information on each request by the Board of Regents for a national security risk assessment.
Under the bill, if a UW System institution violates any provision of the bill, the Joint Committee on Finance may determine the monetary value to the UW System institution of a violating collaboration agreement, academic partnership, or research partnership or otherwise resulting from the violation. An amount that is twice the monetary value determined by JCF is published in the Wisconsin Administrative Register and, upon publication, the secretary of administration must transfer the published amount from the UW System’s general program operations appropriation to the JCF supplemental appropriation.
For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

Section 1. 36.46 of the statutes is created to read:
36.46 Prohibitions on foreign influence. (1) Definitions. In this section:
(a) “Academic partnership” means a faculty or student exchange program, study abroad program, articulation program, recruiting program, or dual degree program.
(b) “Collaboration agreement” means a written statement of mutual interest in academic or research collaboration.
(c) “Foreign adversary” means a foreign government or foreign non- government person listed as a foreign adversary in 15 CFR 791.4 (a) and also includes the State of Qatar.
(d) “Foreign principal” means any of the following:
1. An official of a foreign adversary.
2. A political party or member of a political party associated with a foreign adversary.
3. An entity or organization organized under the laws of, or having its principal place of business in, a country controlled by a foreign adversary, including a subsidiary of such an entity or organization.
4. An individual who is domiciled in a country controlled by a foreign
adversary and who is not a citizen or lawful permanent resident of the United States.
(e) “Political party” means an organization or association of individuals whose aim or purpose is, or that is engaged in any activity devoted in whole or in part to, any of the following:
1. The establishment, administration, control, or acquisition of administration or control of a foreign adversary.
2. The furtherance or influencing of the political or public interest, policies, or relations of a foreign adversary.
(f) “Prohibited business entity” means any company, other than a U.S. person, as defined in 15 CFR 772.1, or a U.S. subsidiary, as defined in 15 CFR 772.1, to which any of the following applies:
1. The company is primarily domiciled, incorporated, or headquartered in, or listed on a securities exchange in, a country controlled by a foreign adversary.
2. The company has its principal place of business in a country controlled by a foreign adversary.
3. The company is controlled by, or a majority of the ownership interest in the company is held by an entity that is controlled by, the government of the People’s Republic of China, the Chinese Communist Party, the Chinese military, or any instrumentality of the Chinese government, including the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council of the National Social Security Fund.
4. The company is a subsidiary of a company described in subds. 1. to 3.
(g) “Research partnership” means a formal or informal agreement, contract,
memorandum of understanding, joint project, consortium, or other collaborative arrangement with any college or university, including its research centers and laboratories, based in a country controlled by a foreign adversary, or with any foreign adversary or foreign principal, for the purpose of jointly conducting, funding, or facilitating scientific, technological, engineering, medical, social science, or other scholarly research.
(2) Foreign grants, collaboration agreements, academic partnerships, research partnerships, or educational software. (a) Neither the board nor an institution may do any of the following:
1. Accept any grant from a college or university based in a country controlled by a foreign adversary, or from a foreign adversary or foreign principal.
2. Except as provided in par. (b), participate in any collaboration agreement with a college or university based in a country controlled by a foreign adversary, or with a foreign adversary or foreign principal.
3. Except as provided in par. (b), participate in any academic partnership or research partnership with a college or university, or an academic or other research partner, based in a country controlled by a foreign adversary, or with a foreign adversary or foreign principal.
(b) 1. Subject to subds. 2. to 4., upon approval by the board, an institution may enter into a collaboration agreement, academic partnership, or research partnership with a college or university based in a country controlled by a foreign adversary, or with a foreign adversary or foreign principal, if the board determines the collaboration agreement, academic partnership, or research partnership is
valuable to students and to the institution and is not detrimental to the safety or security of the United States or its residents.
2. The board may not approve a collaboration agreement, academic partnership, or research partnership under subd. 1. if the collaboration agreement, academic partnership, or research partnership would constrain the institution’s freedom of contract or allow the institution’s curriculum or values to be directed or controlled by a foreign adversary or foreign principal.
3. The board may not approve a collaboration agreement, academic partnership, or research partnership under subd. 1. until the board requests and receives a national security risk assessment of the proposed collaboration agreement, academic partnership, or research partnership by a federal law enforcement agency.
4. In the 2025-27 fiscal biennium, neither the board nor an institution may enter into any collaboration agreement or academic partnership with the Russian Federation.
(c) Neither the board nor an institution, nor a researcher employed by the system, may approve, continue, or enter into any collaboration agreement, academic partnership, or research partnership with a college or university based in a country controlled by a foreign adversary, or with a foreign adversary or foreign principal, if any project under the collaboration agreement, academic partnership, or research partnership is funded in full or in part by the U.S. department of defense or any successor organization to the U.S. department of defense.
(d) The board shall adopt a policy prohibiting each institution from procuring or using educational software from a prohibited business entity.

(3) Foreign gifts and cultural exchange payments. (a) Neither the board nor an institution, nor any employee or representative of the system, may solicit or accept any gift in an official capacity, including any physical object, loan, reward, promise of future employment, favor, or service, from a college or university based in a country controlled by a foreign adversary or from a foreign adversary or foreign principal.
(b) Neither the board nor an institution may accept anything of value conditioned upon participation in a program or other endeavor to promote the language or culture of a country controlled by a foreign adversary.
(4) Annual report. (a) No later than December 1, 2026, and by December 1 of each year thereafter, the board shall submit a report to the governor and the chief clerk of each house of the legislature, for distribution to the legislature under s. 13.172 (2), relating to collaboration agreements, academic partnerships, and research partnerships of the board or any institution with colleges and universities based in a country controlled by a foreign adversary or with a foreign adversary or foreign principal.
(b) The report under par. (a) shall include, at a minimum, detailed information, for the immediately preceding fiscal year, with respect to all of the following:
1. Each collaboration agreement, academic partnership, or research partnership involving an institution and any college or university based in a country controlled by a foreign adversary or a foreign adversary or foreign principal.
2. Each office, campus, or other physical location used or maintained by an institution in a country controlled by a foreign adversary.

3. The date on which any collaboration agreement, academic partnership, or research partnership reported under subd. 1. is expected to terminate.
4. Each collaboration agreement, academic partnership, or research partnership reported under subd. 1. for which a requirement under sub. (2) (b) was not satisfied.
5. Each request by the board for a national security risk assessment as provided in sub. (2) (b) 3. and, for each, the determination made by the federal law enforcement agency in response to the request.
6. Any other program or contract, not reported under subd. 1., between the board or an institution and any college or university based in a country controlled by a foreign adversary or a foreign adversary or foreign principal.