The Georgia Senate passed two bills Monday that would restrict land purchases by citizens of countries considered a threat to the United States and require more transparency about universities that get funding from those nations.
Both bills target China, which Republican senators described as a looming threat the state needed to counter. But they also seek to thwart other threatening countries.
House Bill 150, which passed by a 32-19 vote, would require Georgia’s public universities to produce quarterly reports of funding they receive from China, Russia and other nations the federal government has designated as foreign adversaries.
“We want individuals from all over the world to be exposed to the benefits of our U.S. higher education system and the freedoms of our society,” said state Sen. Clint Dixon, a Buford Republican who sponsored the measure in the chamber. “What we don’t want is to see hostile foreign adversaries use money to undermine or corrupt our university system research or to steal intelligence and things of that nature.”
Democrats in the Senate said they feared the bill could inadvertently block international students from paying tuition to attend Georgia’s universities.
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
State Sen. Kim Jackson, a Democrat from Stone Mountain, said she is concerned the legislation could target anyone from a country of concern who is not a citizen or a permanent resident of the United States.
Dixon said the intention of the bill is “not to ban all foreign students” but rather “countries that are of concern, contributing large amounts of money to these universities and potentially having influence over them.”
Another measure, House Bill 358, would prohibit agents from foreign countries from purchasing land near military bases. The measure passed 35-20.
Both bills now head to Gov. Brian Kemp to be signed into law.
The Georgia House also agreed to changes House Bill 113 by a 146-18 vote Monday, which would restrict state agencies from buying goods from companies in countries deemed a security threat.
About the Author
Keep Reading
The Latest
Featured
