US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session

US Federal House Bill HB1233

Introduced
 
Introduced
2/12/25  

Caption

To prohibit the obligation or expenditure of Federal funds for disinformation research grants, and for other purposes.

Impact

If enacted, HB 1233 would significantly affect how federal funds are allocated to research, particularly in the fields of technology and communication. By banning funding for disinformation research, the bill could hinder academic and governmental efforts aimed at understanding and combatting misinformation online. Opponents of the bill argue that this could stave off crucial research that helps tackle the threats posed by false information campaigns, especially those targeting elections and public health.

Summary

House Bill 1233 aims to prohibit the obligation or expenditure of federal funds for grants related to disinformation research and related cybersecurity programs. This legislation is positioned as a response to growing concerns about the government's role in regulating and funding research that might be perceived as politically motivated or biased. The bill specifically targets areas such as the National Science Foundation’s programs that focus on trust and authenticity in communications systems, seeking to eliminate federal support for what the bill's sponsors deem potentially politicized research initiatives.

Contention

Notable points of contention surrounding HB 1233 include debates about academic freedom and the necessity of government oversight in research funding. Supporters of the bill, primarily Republican legislators, argue that it is essential to prevent the misuse of taxpayer dollars on projects that could infringe upon free speech or be biased. Conversely, critics warn that the bill could obstruct vital research endeavors aimed at improving societal understanding of disinformation and weaken essential cybersecurity initiatives. The discussion illustrates a broader tension in contemporary governance regarding the role of federal funding in academia and its intersection with political agendas.

Congress_id

119-HR-1233

Policy_area

Science, Technology, Communications

Introduced_date

2025-02-12

Companion Bills

No companion bills found.

Previously Filed As

US HB436

To prohibit the use of Federal funds to support or facilitate the participation of the Russian Federation in the Group of Seven, and for other purposes.

US HB1463

To prohibit the use of Federal funds to implement, administer, or enforce a final rule of the Food and Drug Administration relating to "Medical Devices; Laboratory Developed Tests", and for other purposes.

US HB8103

To prohibit the use of funds to use military force in or against Cuba, and for other purposes.

US HB6915

To prohibit the use of funds to use military force in or against Venezuela, and for other purposes.

US HB1493

To reauthorize and make improvements to Federal programs relating to the prevention, detection, and treatment of traumatic brain injuries, and for other purposes.

US HB1221

Social Security and Medicare Lock-Box Act This bill establishes (1) in the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund, a Social Security Surplus Protection Account; and (2) in the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund, a Medicare Surplus Protection Account. The Managing Trustee of each trust fund (in both cases, the Secretary of the Treasury) (1) must transfer the annual surplus of the trust fund to its respective account; and (2) may not invest the balance in the account until a law takes effect that authorizes, for amounts in the trust fund, an investment vehicle other than U.S. obligations. The bill establishes in the executive branch a commission to study the most effective vehicles for investment of the trust funds, other than investments in the form of U.S. obligations.

US HB1318

United States Research Protection ActThis bill clarifies the definition of a malign foreign talent recruitment program under the Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation Act. The Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation Act, which was included in the CHIPS and Science Act, prohibits researchers who receive federal funds from participating in malign foreign talent recruitment programs, in which foreign countries incentivize or compensate researchers for activities that present a conflict of interest for the researcher or that are otherwise unauthorized (e.g., sharing proprietary information without proper authorization).The bill clarifies that these restrictions apply to programs that are sponsored by a foreign country of concern, including China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia. The bill also clarifies that malign foreign talent recruitment programs may involve direct or indirect compensation or incentives from such countries.

US HB2532

To prohibit certain removals of employees of the Department of Health and Human Services and sub-agencies and operating divisions thereof, and for other purposes.

US HB4029

To provide for an emergency increase in Federal funding to State Medicaid programs for expenditures on home and community-based services.

US HB3078

To amend the Department of Energy Research and Innovation Act to direct the Secretary of Energy to coordinate with certain Federal officials to conduct research, development, testing, and evaluation of novel technologies to detect fentanyl vapor or particles in support of rapid screening of the mails, at prisons, at United States borders, and in other related use cases, and for other purposes.

Similar Bills

No similar bills found.