Committee advances HB150 requiring universities to report foreign funding over $50,000 twice yearly

Representative Fleming presented HB150 (LC 610232S), which the transcript identifies as the "Combating threats from foreign countries of concern act of 2025." "What this bill does, it focuses on, funding from foreign entities of concern as outlined by The United States Secretary Of Commerce. It promotes transparency in foreign funding to our higher ed institutions," Representative Fleming said.

Under the bill as described in committee, the University System of Georgia must report twice yearly — Jan. 31 and July 31 — to the General Assembly and to the governor on funding received from foreign countries of concern, excluding tuition payments by individuals. The presenter said institutions must track and report the type of funding, its source, its amount and its purpose and "document its basis." The bill uses a $50,000 cumulative reporting threshold.

A committee member asked where the definition of "foreign country of concern" appears; the presenter pointed to the bill text (lines identified in the transcript). Representative Fleming said the reporting requirement applies to cumulative totals over $50,000 and that the bill had been presented to the committee in a prior session but ran out of time on the House side previously.

A senator moved to pass the bill at the appropriate time; the committee chair called the vote immediately and recorded the vote as unanimous. The committee recorded no roll-call tally in the transcript excerpts beyond the chair’s statement that the vote was unanimous.

The transcript excerpt records the bill title and reporting mechanics; it does not specify enforcement mechanisms, penalties, or the specific list of countries beyond the bill’s cross-reference to a list maintained by the United States Secretary of Commerce.