Committee holds bill limiting state collaborations with some international entities for further drafting
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Summary
HB2775, which would bar state agencies and public universities from certain collaborations with listed international organizations and require Board of Regents review, drew extended debate over rulemaking and oversight; the committee voted to hold the bill to draft a statutory substitute amendment.
The committee heard HB2775 on Feb. 9, a bill that would prohibit state agencies, political subdivisions, and public institutions of higher education from knowingly participating in or accepting funds tied to certain international organizations. The Gillette amendment added a provision directing universities to submit proposed collaborations with outlined entities to the Arizona Board of Regents for review and authorized penalties for prohibited collaborations.
Sponsor and members debated whether to allow the Board of Regents to use internal rulemaking to form an oversight subcommittee, with some members arguing the delegation of rulemaking authority raises separation-of-powers concerns. The chair and the sponsor emphasized the amendment’s intent to ensure oversight of foreign funding streams citing specific concerns about research partnerships and funds traced to Chinese institutions.
After prolonged discussion about whether to use rulemaking or statutory language to create a narrow oversight board, members agreed to draft a sub-amendment to clarify oversight mechanics. The committee voted to hold HB2775 for further work rather than advance the amended bill at this hearing.
