H.R. 4795

IB
  Union Calendar No. 681
  119TH CONGRESS
  2D SESSION
  H. R. 4795
  [Report No. 119–780]
  To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to prohibit an institution
  that participates in a nonexpressive commercial boycott of Israel from
  being eligible for certain funds under that Act, to require an institution
  that participates in certain programs under that Act to certify that
  students are not unreasonably obstructed from participating in academic
  programs in Israel, and for other purposes.
  IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
  JULY 29, 2025
  Ms. FOXX (for herself and Mr. GOTTHEIMER) introduced the following bill;
  which was referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce
  AUGUST 27, 2026
  Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole
  House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
  [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic]
  [For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on July 29, 2025]
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  A BILL
  To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to prohibit
  an institution that participates in a nonexpressive com-
  mercial boycott of Israel from being eligible for certain
  funds under that Act, to require an institution that par-
  ticipates in certain programs under that Act to certify
  that students are not unreasonably obstructed from par-
  ticipating in academic programs in Israel, and for other
  purposes.
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1Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
  2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
3   SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
4This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Protect Economic and
  5 Academic Freedom Act of 2026’’.
6   SEC. 2. INELIGIBILITY OF INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDU-
7CATION PARTICIPATING IN CERTAIN NON-
8EXPRESSIVE COMMERCIAL BOYCOTTS.
9Section 487(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965
  10 (20 U.S.C. 1094(a)) is amended by adding at the end the
  11 following:
12‘‘(30)(A) The institution will not engage in a
13nonexpressive commercial boycott of a major strategic
14partner of the United States.
15‘‘(B) For purposes of this paragraph:
16‘‘(i) The term ‘major strategic partner’
17means, with respect to the United States—
18‘‘(I) a country described in section 4 of
19Public Law 113–296; or
20‘‘(II) an entity licensed or regulated
21by, or organized under the laws of, such a
22country.
23‘‘(ii) The term ‘nonexpressive commercial
24boycott of a major strategic partner’—
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1‘‘(I) means a commercial action (in-
2cluding engaging in refusals to deal and
3terminating business activities) that—
4‘‘(aa) is intended to limit com-
5mercial relations with a major stra-
6tegic partner; and
7‘‘(bb) is not based on a valid busi-
8ness reason; and
9‘‘(II) does not include actions described
10in regulations issued to provide for the ex-
11ceptions described in section 1773(a)(2) of
12the Anti-Boycott Act of 2018 (50 U.S.C.
134842(a)(2)).’’.
14    SEC. 3. ELIGIBILITY FOR TITLE VI FUNDS.
15Title VI of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20
  16 U.S.C. 1121 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the
  17 following new sections:
18    ‘‘SEC. 639. INSTITUTIONAL CERTIFICATIONS.
19‘‘(a) ANNUAL REQUIREMENT FOR INSTITUTIONAL ELI-
20    GIBILITY.—Not later than July 31 of each calendar year
  21 beginning on or after the date of enactment of the Protect
  22 Economic and Academic Freedom Act of 2026, an institu-
  23 tion of higher education participating or applying to par-
  24 ticipate in any program under this title shall submit to
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  25 the Secretary the certification required under subsection (b).
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  1 An institution that does not submit such certification by
  2 July 31 of a calendar year shall be ineligible to receive any
  3 funds under this title in the first fiscal year that begins
  4 after such July 31, including any funds under this title
  5 that would otherwise have been available to the institution
  6 in such fiscal year for a grant awarded during a previous
  7 fiscal year.
8‘‘(b) CERTIFICATION.—An institution shall certify to
  9 the Secretary that, for the period beginning on the date of
  10 such certification and ending on July 31 of the following
  11 year, the institution will—
12‘‘(1) permit students and faculty of the certifying
13institution to participate in academic programs, in-
14cluding conferences, teaching exchanges, cultural ex-
15changes, study abroad programs, joint research, and
16other collaborative educational activities, in a major
17strategic partner (as defined in section 487(a)(30)) of
18the United States in the same manner, and under the
19same terms and conditions, as students and faculty of
20the institution are permitted to participate in aca-
21demic programs in other foreign countries; and
22‘‘(2) permit students and faculty of postsec-
23ondary educational institutions in such a major stra-
24tegic partner to participate in academic programs of-
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25fered by the certifying institution, including con-
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1ferences, teaching exchanges, cultural exchanges, study
2abroad programs, joint research, and other collabo-
3rative educational activities, in the same manner,
4and under the same terms and conditions, as students
5and faculty of other foreign postsecondary educational
6institutions that are not in such a major strategic
7partner.
8   ‘‘SEC. 639A. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
9‘‘It is the sense of Congress that limitations on cooper-
  10 ative efforts by institutions of higher education, consortia
  11 of such institutions, or partnerships between nonprofit edu-
  12 cational organizations and institutions of higher education
  13 with a major strategic partner (as defined in section
  14 487(a)(30)) of the United States do not serve the security,
  15 stability, and economic vitality of the United States.’’.
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  Union Calendar No. 681
119TH CONGRESS
   2D SESSION       H. R. 4795
  [Report No. 119–780]
  H4795
  A BILL
  E:\BILLS\H4795.RH
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to
  prohibit an institution that participates in a non-
  expressive commercial boycott of Israel from
  being eligible for certain funds under that Act, to
  require an institution that participates in certain
  Sfmt 6651
  programs under that Act to certify that students
  are not unreasonably obstructed from partici-
  pating in academic programs in Israel, and for
  other purposes.
  Fmt 6651
  AUGUST 27, 2026
  Frm 00008
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Com-
  mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union,
  and ordered to be printed
  PO 00000
  Jkt 069200
  21:34 Aug 27, 2026
  VerDate Sep 11 2014
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