WisconsinFailed bill would restrict UW System ties with foreign adversaries
The failed measure proposed limits on UW System grants and foreign partnerships, with rules for gifts, educational software, and yearly reports.
What it does
UW System institutions could not accept certain foreign grants or join covered academic or research partnerships without board approval. Approval requires a federal security review and cannot let a foreign partner control university choices.
UW System officials and employees could not solicit or accept certain gifts from covered foreign sources in their official roles. The board and institutions also could not accept value tied to promoting a covered country’s language or culture.
The board must bar institutions from buying or using educational software from certain foreign-linked companies and report covered foreign agreements, partnerships, and locations each year.
Argument forBoard review and a federal security assessment could help keep foreign partners from directing university teaching or research and flag risks to U.S. safety.
Argument againstThe restrictions could prevent students and researchers from joining valuable exchanges or projects with foreign partners, including partnerships the board might otherwise approve.
More detail
UW System institutions could not accept covered grants or join covered agreements and partnerships, except where the board approves eligible arrangements. The rules cover grants and arrangements with universities in countries controlled by a foreign adversary, or with a foreign adversary or foreign principal. The listed adversaries are limited to those on the referenced federal list, as amended. The board could approve an arrangement only if it finds it valuable to students and the institution and not harmful to U.S. safety or security. The board must first receive a federal law enforcement risk assessment and cannot approve an arrangement that limits contract freedom or lets a foreign party direct curriculum or values. The board and institutions cannot accept the covered grants under the approval exception. The grant and partnership rules first apply on the effective date of the relevant subsection, which is not included in the supplied text.
The board, institutions, and system employees or representatives could not solicit or accept covered gifts in an official role; the board and institutions could not accept value conditioned on cultural promotion. The gift rule covers gifts from universities in countries controlled by a foreign adversary, or from a foreign adversary or foreign principal. The language and culture rule concerns a country controlled by a foreign adversary. Covered gifts include objects, loans, rewards, promises of future jobs, favors, or services. The separate rule applies to anything of value conditioned on taking part in an effort to promote a foreign adversary country’s language or culture. These rules first apply to gifts or other things received on the effective date of the relevant subsection, which is not included in the supplied text.
The board must adopt a policy barring institutions from procuring or using covered educational software, and must send an annual report to state officials. The software policy concerns software from companies meeting the prohibited business entity definition. The reporting and penalty provisions concern the board and institutions. The report must cover specified agreements, partnerships, locations in covered countries, security assessment requests, and other programs or contracts with covered foreign parties. For a violation, the finance committee may determine its monetary value and give notice of twice that value; publication triggers a transfer between state accounts. The first report is due December 1, 2026, and later reports are due each December 1; each report covers the immediately preceding fiscal year.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- May 13Failed to pass notwithstanding the objections of the Governor pursuant to Joint Rule 82Latest
- May 12Placed on calendar 5-12-2026 pursuant to Joint Rule 82 (2)(a)
- Mar 27Report vetoed by the Governor Tony Evers on 3-27-2026Major
- Mar 26Presented to the Governor on 3-26-2026To Governor
- Feb 20Report correctly enrolled on 2-20-2026Minor
- Feb 18Received from Senate concurred inMinor
- Vote recorded CONCURRENCE. Result: pass.Upper
- Vote recorded Senate Amendment 1 rejected, Ayes 18, Noes 15. Result: pass.Upper
- Feb 18Ordered immediately messaged
- Feb 18Read a third time and concurred in, Ayes 19, Noes 14Passed Senate
- Feb 18Rules suspended to give bill its third reading
- Feb 18Ordered to a third readingMinor
- Feb 18Senate Amendment 1 rejected, Ayes 18, Noes 15Minor
- Feb 18Read a second timeMinor
- Feb 18Senate Amendment 1 offered by Senator SmithMinor
- Feb 17Placed on calendar 2-18-2026 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)
- Vote recorded Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 3, Noes 2. Result: pass.Upper
- Feb 17Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 3, Noes 2
- Feb 4Available for scheduling
- Vote recorded Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Licensing, Regulatory Reform, State and Federal Affairs, Ayes 3, Noes 2. Result: pass.Upper
- Feb 4Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Licensing, Regulatory Reform, State and Federal Affairs, Ayes 3, Noes 2Minor
- Feb 4Executive action taken
- Jan 26Representative Piwowarczyk added as a coauthor
- Jan 26Read first time and referred to committee on Licensing, Regulatory Reform, State and Federal AffairsMinor
- Jan 22Received from AssemblyMinor
- Vote recorded PASSAGE. Result: pass.Lower
- Jan 22Ordered immediately messaged
- Jan 22Read a third time and passed, Ayes 53, Noes 44Passed Assembly
- Jan 22Rules suspended
- Jan 22Ordered to a third readingMinor
- Jan 22Assembly Amendment 2 adoptedMajor
- Jan 22Assembly Amendment 1 adoptedMajor
- Jan 22Read a second timeMinor
- Jan 21Assembly Amendment 2 offered by Representative DallmanMinor
- Jan 20Placed on calendar 1-22-2026 by Committee on Rules
- Jan 14Referred to committee on RulesMinor
- Vote recorded Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Colleges and Universities, Ayes 6, Noes 4. Result: pass.Lower
- Vote recorded Report Assembly Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Colleges and Universities, Ayes 8, Noes 2. Result: pass.Lower
- Jan 14Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Colleges and Universities, Ayes 6, Noes 4Minor
- Jan 14Report Assembly Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Colleges and Universities, Ayes 8, Noes 2Minor
- Jan 8Executive action taken
- 2025
- Dec 10Public hearing held
- Dec 3Assembly Amendment 1 offered by Representative DallmanMinor
- Dec 3Fiscal estimate receivedMinor
- Nov 19Read first time and referred to Committee on Colleges and UniversitiesMinor
- Nov 19Introduced by Representatives Dallman, Behnke, Brill, Callahan, Dittrich, Goeben, Green, Knodl, Kurtz, Melotik, Moses, Murphy, Mursau, O'Connor and Wichgers; cosponsored by Senators Tomczyk, Jacque, Nass and TestinIntroduced
EducationNational SecurityTechnology