US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session

US Federal House Bill HB1233

Introduced
2/12/25  

Caption

To prohibit the obligation or expenditure of Federal funds for disinformation research grants, and for other purposes.

Impact

If enacted, HB 1233 would significantly affect how federal funds are allocated to research, particularly in the fields of technology and communication. By banning funding for disinformation research, the bill could hinder academic and governmental efforts aimed at understanding and combatting misinformation online. Opponents of the bill argue that this could stave off crucial research that helps tackle the threats posed by false information campaigns, especially those targeting elections and public health.

Summary

House Bill 1233 aims to prohibit the obligation or expenditure of federal funds for grants related to disinformation research and related cybersecurity programs. This legislation is positioned as a response to growing concerns about the government's role in regulating and funding research that might be perceived as politically motivated or biased. The bill specifically targets areas such as the National Science Foundation’s programs that focus on trust and authenticity in communications systems, seeking to eliminate federal support for what the bill's sponsors deem potentially politicized research initiatives.

Contention

Notable points of contention surrounding HB 1233 include debates about academic freedom and the necessity of government oversight in research funding. Supporters of the bill, primarily Republican legislators, argue that it is essential to prevent the misuse of taxpayer dollars on projects that could infringe upon free speech or be biased. Conversely, critics warn that the bill could obstruct vital research endeavors aimed at improving societal understanding of disinformation and weaken essential cybersecurity initiatives. The discussion illustrates a broader tension in contemporary governance regarding the role of federal funding in academia and its intersection with political agendas.

Congress_id

119-HR-1233

Policy_area

Science, Technology, Communications

Introduced_date

2025-02-12

Companion Bills

No companion bills found.

Previously Filed As

US HB436

To prohibit the use of Federal funds to support or facilitate the participation of the Russian Federation in the Group of Seven, and for other purposes.

US HB1463

To prohibit the use of Federal funds to implement, administer, or enforce a final rule of the Food and Drug Administration relating to "Medical Devices; Laboratory Developed Tests", and for other purposes.

US HB8103

To prohibit the use of funds to use military force in or against Cuba, and for other purposes.

US HB6915

To prohibit the use of funds to use military force in or against Venezuela, and for other purposes.

US HB1318

United States Research Protection ActThis bill clarifies the definition of a malign foreign talent recruitment program under the Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation Act. The Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation Act, which was included in the CHIPS and Science Act, prohibits researchers who receive federal funds from participating in malign foreign talent recruitment programs, in which foreign countries incentivize or compensate researchers for activities that present a conflict of interest for the researcher or that are otherwise unauthorized (e.g., sharing proprietary information without proper authorization).The bill clarifies that these restrictions apply to programs that are sponsored by a foreign country of concern, including China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia. The bill also clarifies that malign foreign talent recruitment programs may involve direct or indirect compensation or incentives from such countries.

US HB4029

To provide for an emergency increase in Federal funding to State Medicaid programs for expenditures on home and community-based services.

US HB1493

To reauthorize and make improvements to Federal programs relating to the prevention, detection, and treatment of traumatic brain injuries, and for other purposes.

US HB1221

Social Security and Medicare Lock-Box Act This bill establishes (1) in the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund, a Social Security Surplus Protection Account; and (2) in the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund, a Medicare Surplus Protection Account. The Managing Trustee of each trust fund (in both cases, the Secretary of the Treasury) (1) must transfer the annual surplus of the trust fund to its respective account; and (2) may not invest the balance in the account until a law takes effect that authorizes, for amounts in the trust fund, an investment vehicle other than U.S. obligations. The bill establishes in the executive branch a commission to study the most effective vehicles for investment of the trust funds, other than investments in the form of U.S. obligations.

US HB297

Higher Education Loses Payments for Painful Experiments, Tests and Studies Act or the HELP PETS ActThis bill prohibits an institution of higher education (IHE) from receiving federal funds if the IHE conducts or funds painful research on dogs or cats. Painful research refers to any research, biomedical training, experimentation, or biological testing classified in specified pain categories by the Department of Agriculture.

US HB422

No Subsidies for Wealthy Universities ActThis bill limits the indirect costs that are allowable under federal research awards to institutions of higher education (IHEs) with endowments above specified thresholds. (Generally, indirect costs represent expenses that are not specific to a research project but are needed to maintain the infrastructure and administrative support for federally funded research.)Specifically, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) must annually collect information regarding the endowments of each IHE that has entered into a program participation agreement with the Department of Education.With this collected information, NCES must identify and make lists of (1) each IHE with an endowment of more than $5 billion, and (2) each IHE with an endowment of more than $2 billion (but not more than $5 billion). NCES must submit these lists to the Office of Management and Budget, which must then distribute the lists to federal agencies, Congress, and the public.The bill establishes the following limits on the indirect costs allowable under federal research awards:for an IHE with an endowment of more than $5 billion, the IHE is prohibited from using these awards for indirect costs;for an IHE with an endowment of more than $2 billion (but not more than $5 billion), the IHE is limited to an indirect cost rate of 8%; andfor all other IHEs, an indirect cost rate of 15%.The Government Accountability Office must annually report to Congress on indirect cost reimbursement on federal research awards for IHEs.

Similar Bills

No similar bills found.