Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Foreign Influence topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee advances bill aimed at limiting Chinese influence in state institutions and investments
Summary
House Bill 13‑52, presented by Representative Howard Beatty, would prohibit certain China‑linked campus organizations, restrict sister‑city agreements with hostile governments and require divestment from some Chinese investments by public entities; the committee approved the bill as amended by voice vote.
A Senate committee approved House Bill 13‑52 after extended discussion about measures to limit influence from the People’s Republic of China across higher education, municipal relationships and public investments.
Representative Howard Beatty, the House sponsor, told the committee the bill seeks to "combat the hostile foreign influence of China in Arkansas," and described three principal sections: disallowing recognition of campus organizations the bill describes as instruments of Chinese government influence, restricting sister‑city agreements with governments the sponsor characterized as hostile, and requiring public investment entities to identify and divest from investments in Chinese companies "known to be controlled by the Chinese government."
Beatty cited intelligence community concerns in his remarks, saying the FBI has reported efforts by Chinese authorities to steal intellectual property and to use campus organizations such as Confucius Institutes and other student organizations to exert influence. He described the bill’s Section 1 as requiring state higher‑education institutions to ensure those organizations are not recognized and to disband any that exist, with funding withheld for noncompliance.
Committee members pressed for precise definitions and scope. Senator Tucker asked "What is a Confucius Institute?" and the sponsor replied his understanding was it is an on‑campus organization that promotes language and culture and, in the sponsor’s view, can be used by Chinese authorities to spread the Chinese Communist Party’s ideology. During the exchange Beatty said he believed some prior statute had already addressed Confucius Institutes and that the current bill would reinforce existing restrictions.
On investments, the bill would require public pension and investment funds, except self‑directed plans, to identify and divest from holdings the bill identifies as controlled by the Chinese government unless holdings are de minimis or divestiture would cause financial harm. Beatty said the measure targets continued pension investments in China and Hong Kong.
The committee approved the bill as amended on a voice vote. The motion to "do pass as amended" was made by Senator Peyton and seconded by Senator Hammer; the transcript records committee passage by voice vote and congratulatory remarks to the bill sponsor.
Committee discussion included concerns about definitions (for example, how the bill would treat student associations that are cultural rather than government‑linked) and whether existing statutes already address part of the bill’s provisions. No outside witnesses appeared in the transcript.
