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Senate debate on foreign-influence and procurement bill breaks down after wide-ranging amendments
Summary
A broad Senate bill aimed at increasing transparency around foreign agents, limiting some procurements from foreign adversaries and tightening reporting for higher-education gifts generated lengthy debate, major stakeholder pushback and ultimately no committee adoption of a large amendment package; the measure was deferred.
Senators on the Senate Commerce, Consumer Protection and International Affairs Committee spent the longest portion of their May 14 hearing on Senate Bill 229, a bill that would increase disclosure requirements for foreign actors working in Louisiana, restrict some economic development and procurement benefits for companies domiciled in certain foreign countries, and tighten reporting for foreign gifts to public higher-education institutions.
The bill’s sponsor and supporters said the measure is aimed at national-security threats and transparency. Brian Sikma, speaking for America First Works, told the committee: “This is not an easy bill, but easy didn’t build Louisiana and easy didn’t build The United States.” He described amendments that would narrow the bill’s reach to corporations domiciled outside the United States and explained changes to the higher-education reporting threshold, saying the bill was aligned with prior 2022 legislative work on university foreign gifts.
Opponents —…
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