This bill, the Guarding American Technology from Exploitation Act of 2025, would stop certain foreign nationals from entering or accessing Department of Energy National Laboratories unless a written waiver is issued. "Covered foreign nationals" are people from the People's Republic of China, the Russian Federation, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and the Republic of Cuba, unless they are U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents. The bill defines an "assignee" as someone accessing a lab for more than 30 consecutive days and a "visitor" as someone for less than that period. Starting on enactment, National Laboratories may not admit covered foreign nationals as visitors or assignees and must bar access for covered foreign nationals who already had or sought approval as of that date. The Secretary of Energy may grant a written waiver after consulting the Department of Energy Office of Intelligence and Counterintelligence and a senior counterintelligence official from the FBI (listed positions in the bill) if the Secretary certifies that the benefits to the United States outweigh national security and economic risks. The Secretary must notify specified congressional committees within 30 days after issuing a waiver and include the covered person’s country of origin, request date, waiver decision date, and specific reasons for the waiver.
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The bill’s short title states its purpose: to guard American technology from exploitation. That title and the bill text indicate supporters seek to limit access by nationals of certain countries to protect sensitive laboratory technologies and information.
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