To prohibit persons who are not citizens of the United States, except for those from the "Five Eyes", from accessing or entering Department of Energy sites and facilities.
HB4000 would bar non-U.S. citizens from accessing or entering any site or facility owned, operated, or leased by the Department of Energy, with a specific exception for citizens of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. The bill applies broadly to DOE sites and facilities and states that the restriction would take effect 60 days after enactment.
The bill also directs the Secretary of Energy to update regulations, guidelines, policies, and procedures within 60 days of enactment to implement the new access restrictions. In practical terms, it would require DOE and its contractors to review visitor access, security screening, and facility-entry rules to ensure compliance with the citizenship-based prohibition and the Five Eyes exception.
If enacted, HB4000 would change federal access rules for Department of Energy facilities by creating a citizenship-based entry restriction and superseding any conflicting law to the extent of the bill’s language. It would affect DOE operations, facility security protocols, visitor management, and potentially contractors, researchers, and foreign nationals who need access to DOE sites, while preserving access for citizens of the Five Eyes countries named in the bill.
No committee transcript or vote record is available, so there is no recorded debate or roll-call sentiment to assess. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears to be framed as a national-security and access-control bill, but the absence of discussion or votes means support and opposition cannot be measured from the provided record.
The main point of contention would likely be the bill’s broad exclusion of all non-U.S. citizens from DOE sites, which could affect scientific collaboration, international research, and workforce access. The exception for citizens of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom may also be controversial because it creates a nationality-based carveout that favors Five Eyes allies while excluding other foreign nationals. Potential supporters would likely emphasize security and protection of sensitive energy and research facilities, while critics would likely focus on discrimination, operational burdens, and impacts on international partnerships.