Committee approves bill requiring disclosure of large foreign gifts to universities and banning Confucius Institutes

Senator Johnson introduced Senate Bill 609, an agreed‑to measure co‑sponsored by multiple senators and a representative, to increase transparency around foreign gifts to institutions of higher education and to prohibit host agreements with Confucius Institutes or entities affiliated with the People's Republic of China or the Chinese military.

Johnson said the bill originally proposed a lower reporting threshold but was amended to match federal disclosure levels required under the Patriot Act ($250,000), following discussions with the University of Arkansas and the University of Central Arkansas. He told the committee the bill is modeled in part on legislation in another state and said the measure responds to campus incidents in Arkansas that raised concerns about espionage and foreign influence.

Committee members asked whether scholarships funded by foreign governments or students on government‑funded scholarships would be affected; Johnson said scholarships were not intended to be restricted and that his discussions with university representatives had resulted in clarifying amendments that addressed those concerns.

A question about the bill’s breadth prompted discussion of the statutory language that defines entities "affiliated with" foreign governments; Johnson said the bill was directed primarily at the specific vulnerability his office had identified, naming China as the principal concern given recent campus incidents.

No outside witnesses signed up to speak. The committee moved and carried the motion to pass SB 609 by voice vote. The committee transcript records the bill as an "agreed to" measure between higher education stakeholders and the sponsor.