Bill Summary
This bill, known as the "Transparency for Confucius Institutes," aims to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 by requiring institutions of higher education to enter into program participation agreements with Hanban (Office of Chinese Language Council International) if a Confucius Institute operates on their campus. These agreements must clearly distinguish between the Confucius Institute's programs and the institution's own Chinese language programs, physically separate the Confucius Institute from other programs within the institution, and remove the Chinese assistant director position from the Confucius Institute. The staff and professors of the Confucius Institute must also undergo appropriate background checks. These agreements must be made publicly available online and cannot contain confidentiality clauses. The institution also maintains final decision-making authority over conference themes, guest speakers, and event topics related to the Confucius Institute on campus.
Possible Impacts
1. The legislation could affect institutions of higher education by requiring them to enter into program participation agreements with Hanban (Office of Chinese Language Council International) if a Confucius Institute operates on their campus. This could potentially limit the institution's autonomy in managing their own Chinese language and cultural programs.
2. The legislation could affect staff and professors of Confucius Institutes by subjecting them to background checks, which could potentially limit their employment opportunities or create a barrier to their participation in the program.
3. The legislation could affect the public by requiring program participation agreements to be made publicly available online and without a confidentiality section. This could increase transparency and allow the public to have access to information about the operations of Confucius Institutes on college campuses.
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7138 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7138
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require program
participation agreements between institutions of higher education and
Hanban if a Confucius Institute operates on the campus of the
institution.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 8, 2020
Mr. Roy (for himself, Mr. Yoho, Mr. Gaetz, Mr. Gohmert, Mr. Weber of
Texas, Mr. Brooks of Alabama, Mr. Posey, Mr. Kevin Hern of Oklahoma,
Mr. Fulcher, and Mr. Gosar) introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Education and Labor
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require program
participation agreements between institutions of higher education and
Hanban if a Confucius Institute operates on the campus of the
institution.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Transparency for Confucius
Institutes''.
SEC. 2. PROGRAM PARTICIPATION AGREEMENTS BETWEEN INSTITUTIONS AND
HANBAN.
Section 487(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1094(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(30) If a Confucius Institute (as defined in section 1091
of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for
Fiscal Year 2019 (132 Stat. 1997; Public Law 115-232)) operates
on the campus of the institution, the institution shall enter
into a program participation agreement with the Office of
Chinese Language Council International (commonly known as
`Hanban') that--
``(A) clearly delineates between the Confucius
Institute's programs and the institution's own Chinese
language programs;
``(B) locates the Confucius Institute physically
apart from the Chinese language programs, Chinese
history programs, and Chinese cultural programs within
the institution's organizational structure and
separates promotions for the Confucius Institute from
promotions for the institution's Chinese language
programs, Chinese history programs, and Chinese
cultural programs;
``(C) removes the Chinese assistant director
position from the Confucius Institute;
``(D) subjects the staff and professors of the
Confucius Institute to appropriate background checks;
``(E) is publicly available in its entirety online;
``(F) does not have a confidentiality section; and
``(G) provides that the institution has final
decision-making authority, including with regard to
conference themes, guest speakers, and topics for
events on campus at the institution.''.
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