The House has passed the SAFE Research Act as part of the fiscal year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, a measure that would bar federal funding for researchers affiliated with a "hostile foreign entity" and prohibit Department of Defense grants to institutions partnering with entities on agency maintained lists. The bill, authored by House CCP Committee Chair John Moolenaar (R MI), passed along partisan lines. The Senate version of the NDAA does not include the measure. The act defines "hostile foreign entity" broadly, covering any collaboration with researchers in North Korea, China, Russia, or Iran over the past five years. Disclosure requirements extend to gifts, travel, and institutional partnerships. Researchers would face a five year funding ban after terminating disqualifying connections, unless those ties were severed within 90 days of the bill's passage. Agency heads could grant case by case waivers. A 2025 report from the Select Committee identified over 700 DOD funded research publications involving entities tied to China's defense and industrial base, representing more than 50% of reviewed collaborations. Moolenaar has argued that current safeguards are insufficient. The Association of American Universities and the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities counter that the bill's definitions are so expansive that universities would need to terminate many international engagements to retain federal funding, including study abroad programs, language programs, and professional conferences. They note that existing research security policies under the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 already address national security concerns while preserving beneficial collaborations. The Asian American Scholar Forum warns of arbitrary or biased enforcement that could disproportionately affect researchers of Chinese descent. House Science Committee Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (D CA) has criticized the bill for contradicting exemptions established in the CHIPS Act. The House and Senate are now reconciling their NDAA versions. AAU and APLU have urged the conference committee to strip the SAFE Research Act, arguing it would "retroactively punish scientists and engineers with co publications" and functionally require terminating partnerships that allow the U.S. to monitor where competitor nations are advancing. The bill's fate depends on whether the Senate's bipartisan approach or the House's stricter framework prevails in the final conference agreement.