Louisiana lawmakers have enacted Act 505, creating the Higher Education Research Security Council to oversee university research ties with nations designated as foreign adversaries. The council, chaired by Commissioner of Higher Education Kim Hunter, met for the first time this week and will convene quarterly, with the option for more frequent sessions.
Who sits on the council
Members include appointees of the lieutenant governor, attorney general and the chairs of both legislative homeland‑security committees – all currently held by Republicans – as well as representatives from the Louisiana State Police, the FBI’s New Orleans office, the state chief information officer, three university researchers, four research‑security officers and five private‑university representatives.
Scope of the review
The council may approve or reject any research partnership between a Louisiana university and an institution from China, Cuba, Iran or Russia, and must also sanction collaborations involving Louisiana researchers who are citizens of those nations. Faculty must report any interaction, communication or meeting with individuals from the listed countries within 30 days, even when a partnership has already received council approval. This reporting requirement covers emails, text messages and phone calls.
“To protect our institution and our researchers, LSU not only has a formal policy addressing research security, we also conduct rigorous annual trainings to ensure compliance with the most up‑to‑date federal guidance,” LSU spokeswoman Meg Sunstrom said.
Impact on researchers
Critics warn the law could delay or limit collaborations that are vital to scientific progress. Rodrigo Diaz, director of LSU’s Center for Research Excellence for the Study of Invasive Species, noted that work with Chinese colleagues on invasive‑species control is essential for U.S. ecosystem management. Jason Li, a graduate research associate in LSU’s physics department, said that most federally funded projects rely on partnerships with researchers from the listed nations and could be affected.
Enforcement and transparency
The attorney general may investigate violations, and a monetary reward is offered to whistleblowers who identify breaches. The law also authorizes the governor, Senate president, House speaker and legislative auditor to request audits of any partnership, contract or grant involving the foreign adversary nations. Partnerships funded partially or wholly by the U.S. Department of Defense, Health, or Energy are prohibited.
Additionally, the Louisiana Board of Regents must maintain a public online database disclosing proposed gifts, contracts and partnerships submitted to the council, though it is unclear whether faculty names will be posted.
Future steps
The council will meet again in November and begin reviewing projects in January. Provisions also require the Board of Regents to develop policies that prioritize research collaborations with Israel and Taiwan and to create an annual training program for research‑security officers at each campus.
While the legislation was crafted with input from the nonprofit policy group State Armor, which describes its mission as defending against the Chinese Communist Party, some observers have likened the approach to modern‑day McCarthyism. Nonetheless, supporters argue the added safeguards are necessary to protect Louisiana’s intellectual property and national security.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
