Bill Summary
This legislation, known as the "Countering Chinese Espionage Reporting Act", requires the Attorney General to prepare a report on the Department of Justice's efforts to combat national security threats from the Chinese Communist Party. This report must be submitted to the Committees on the Judiciary and made public on the Department of Justice's website, and must include a description of the Department's activities and operations related to countering Chinese espionage and theft of intellectual property. The report must also account for the resources dedicated to these efforts and describe measures taken to protect civil rights and liberties. The report must be submitted annually for a period of 7 years and may include a classified annex. The Attorney General must consult with other government officials in preparing the report. This legislation aims to increase transparency and awareness of the Department of Justice's actions to counter Chinese national security threats.
Possible Impacts
1. The Countering Chinese Espionage Reporting Act could affect individuals who work in research laboratories, universities, and defense industrial base facilities. These individuals may face stricter security measures and monitoring in order to prevent threats from non-traditional collectors, such as researchers who may be working on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party.
2. The legislation could also affect individuals who are involved in international trade and intellectual property, as the Act aims to combat theft of United States intellectual property and trade secrets by the Chinese Communist Party. This could potentially lead to stricter regulations and penalties for those who are found to be involved in such activities.
3. The requirement for the report to be submitted in unclassified form, but potentially including a classified annex, could affect the public's access to information and their understanding of the government's actions in countering Chinese national security threats. This could also impact the protection of civil rights, civil liberties, and privacy rights of United States persons, as outlined in the Act.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1778 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1778
To direct the Attorney General to prepare a report on the Department of
Justice activities related to countering Chinese national security
threats, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 15, 2025
Mrs. Blackburn (for herself and Mr. Coons) introduced the following
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the
Judiciary
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Attorney General to prepare a report on the Department of
Justice activities related to countering Chinese national security
threats, and for other purposes.
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 ``Countering Chinese Espionage
Reporting Act''.
SEC. 2. REPORT ON DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE ACTIVITIES RELATED TO
COUNTERING NATIONAL SECURITY THREATS FROM THE CHINESE
COMMUNIST PARTY.
(a) Requirement.--Not later than 90 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, and each year thereafter for 7 years, the
Attorney General shall submit to the Committees on the Judiciary of the
Senate and of the House of Representatives, and make publicly available
on the website of the Department of Justice, a report on activities
conducted by the Department of Justice related to countering national
security threats from and espionage in the United States by the Chinese
Communist Party, including--
(1) a description of the activities and operations of the
Department of Justice related to countering Chinese national
security threats and espionage in the United States,
including--
(A) theft of United States intellectual property
(including trade secrets) and research; and
(B) threats from non-traditional collectors, such
as researchers in laboratories, at universities, and at
defense industrial base facilities (as that term is
defined in section 2208(u)(3) of title 10, United
States Code);
(2) an accounting of the resources of the Department of
Justice that are dedicated to programs aimed at combating
national security threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party,
and any supporting information as to the efficacy of each such
program; and
(3) a detailed description of the measures used to ensure
the protection of civil rights, civil liberties, and privacy
rights of United States persons in carrying out the activities,
operations, and programs described in paragraphs (1) and (2).
(b) Form.--The report under subsection (a) shall be submitted in
unclassified form, but may include a classified annex.
(c) Consultation.--In preparing the report under subsection (a),
the Attorney General shall collaborate with the Director of National
Intelligence, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Secretary of
Defense, and any other appropriate officials.
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