Legislation Co-Authored by Rep. Bascom Cracking Down on Foreign Adversaries Heads to Senate

The bill aims to protect Hoosier technology, intellectual property and land from foreign adversaries.

INDIANAPOLIS - The House passed legislation co-authored by State Rep. Garrett Bascom (R-Lawrenceburg) protecting Hoosier technology, intellectual property and land from foreign adversaries.

"America is a land of invention and opportunity, and we want to ensure that these assets are not threatened or compromised by adversarial countries," Bascom said. "This bill would add new protections and transparency to government technology contracts, protect sensitive academic fields from outside threats and prohibit adversarial countries from owning or leasing Hoosier land."

The U.S. Department of Commerce maintains a list of adversarial countries including Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, Cuba and Venezuela. According to Bascom, House Bill 1099 would require contractors or subcontractors involved in state and local technology contracts to certify, under penalty of perjury, that they are not owned, controlled by or acting as an agent of a foreign adversary.

Bascom said the bill would further protect intellectual property by requiring students from adversarial countries, who are not dual citizens or permanent residents of the U.S., to pass a security review before being admitted into qualifying programs such as engineering, computer science and more at state education institutions.

This bill would also prohibit people and entities acting on behalf of these adversarial countries from acquiring or leasing land in Indiana. Existing land ownership by people or entities from adversarial countries could continue as long as they aren't acting as an agent for that country.

House Bill 1099 now moves to the Senate for consideration. To learn more and follow session, visit iga.in.gov.