HR 4795 Re-checks Congress.gov for new actions and updates the bill's status, and fills in any sponsors, committees, or related bills that are missing. It does not re-pull sponsors/cosponsors/committees/related — those rarely change — and it skips all work if nothing has changed upstream, so it's cheap to click.
Protect Economic and Academic Freedom Act of 2026
Summary
- Prohibits institutions of higher education from engaging in commercial boycotts of major strategic partners of the United States and makes them ineligible for certain federal funding under the Higher Education Act if they do.
- Requires institutions receiving Title VI funds to certify annually by July 31 that students and faculty are permitted to participate in academic programs in major strategic partner countries on the same terms as in other foreign countries.
- Requires institutions to certify annually that students and faculty from major strategic partner countries are permitted to participate in the institution's academic programs on the same terms as students and faculty from other countries.
- Makes institutions ineligible for Title VI funds in the fiscal year following any deadline if they fail to submit the required annual certification by July 31.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
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![Rep. Foxx, Virginia [R-NC-5]](https://media.civicgate.org/people/d/politicians/F000450.thumb.jpg)
Rep. Foxx, Virginia (R-NC) [#5]
1 cosponsor
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![Rep. Gottheimer, Josh [D-NJ-5]](https://media.civicgate.org/people/d/politicians/G000583.thumb.jpg)
Rep. Gottheimer, Josh (D-NJ) [#5]
Actions (16)
- Sep 14, 2026 Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. · senate
- Sep 3, 2026 Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection. · house
- Sep 3, 2026 On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 237 - 169 (Roll no. 295). (text: CR H5483) · house
- Sep 3, 2026 Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 237 - 169 (Roll no. 295).
- Sep 3, 2026 The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule. · house
- Sep 3, 2026 DEBATE - The House proceeded with one hour of debate on H.R. 4795. · house
- Sep 3, 2026 Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 1501, H.R. 9436, H. Res. 1490 and H.R. 4795. The resolution provides for consideration of H.R. 1501, H.R. 9436, H.Res. 1490, and H.R. 4795 under a closed rule with one hour of general debate on each measure. The resolution provides for a motion to recommit on H.R. 1501, H.R. 9436, and H.R. 4795. · house
- Sep 3, 2026 Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 1499. (consideration: CR H5483-5488) · house
- Sep 1, 2026 Rule H. Res. 1499 passed House. · house
- Aug 31, 2026 Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 1499 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 1501, H.R. 9436, H. Res. 1490 and H.R. 4795. The resolution provides for consideration of H.R. 1501, H.R. 9436, H.Res. 1490, and H.R. 4795 under a closed rule with one hour of general debate on each measure. The resolution provides for a motion to recommit on H.R. 1501, H.R. 9436, and H.R. 4795. · house
- Aug 27, 2026 Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 681. · house
- Aug 27, 2026 Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Education and Workforce. H. Rept. 119-780. · house
- Jun 25, 2026 Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 24 - 9. · house
- Jun 25, 2026 Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held · house
- Jul 29, 2025 Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce. · house
- Jul 29, 2025 Introduced in House
More bills on these subjects (8)
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Similar bills (6)
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Text versions (4)
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Committee action
What happened to this bill in committee — the meetings where it was considered and every recorded vote taken on it.
As published:Roll Call Vote #2 | H.R. 4795 | Motion to Report as Amended | Passed (24y-9n)
Meetings where this bill was on the agenda
- H.R. 9436 – To amend the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 to extend the time period for which certain regulation concerning the North Atlantic right whale are effective. [Northeast Lobsterman Protection Act of 2026]; H.R. 4795 – Protect Economic and Academic Freedom Act of 2026; H.R. 1501 – Protecting Domestic Mining Act of 2025; H. Res. 1490 – Providing for the condemnation and denouncement of socialism in all its forms, and for other purposes.
- H.R. 8476, "No Antisemitism in Education Act of 2026"; H.R. 4795, "Protect Economic and Academic Freedom Act of 2025"; H.R. 9203, "Student Protection and University Accountability Act"; H.R. 2555, "Freedom of Association in Higher Education Act of 2025"; H.R. 5505, "Equal Campus Access Act of 2025"; H.R. 2332, "States Handling Access to Reciprocity for Employment (SHARE) Act of 2025"; H.R. 4122, "Health Care for Energy Workers Act of 2025"; H.R. 8822, "Federal Workers’ Compensation Integrity and Care Act"; H.R. 8823, "Putting Patients First by Strengthening Provider Accountability in FECA Act"; H.R. 9381, "AI Workforce Assessment and Research Enhancement (AWARE) Act"; H.R. 9228, "Health Data Access, Transparency, and Affordability Act of 2026"
Full text
AN ACT
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to prohibit an institution that participates in a nonexpressive commercial boycott of Israel from being eligible for certain funds under that Act, to require an institution that participates in certain programs under that Act to certify that students are not unreasonably obstructed from participating in academic programs in Israel, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “Protect Economic and Academic Freedom Act of 2026”.
SEC. 2. INELIGIBILITY OF INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION PARTICIPATING IN CERTAIN NONEXPRESSIVE COMMERCIAL BOYCOTTS.
Section 487(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1094(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
“(30)(A) The institution will not engage in a nonexpressive commercial boycott of a major strategic partner of the United States.
“(B) For purposes of this paragraph:
“(i) The term ‘major strategic partner’ means, with respect to the United States—
“(I) a country described in section 4 of Public Law 113-296; or
“(II) an entity licensed or regulated by, or organized under the laws of, such a country.
“(ii) The term ‘nonexpressive commercial boycott of a major strategic partner’—
“(I) means a commercial action (including engaging in refusals to deal and terminating business activities) that— “(aa) is intended to limit commercial relations with a major strategic partner; and “(bb) is not based on a valid business reason; and
“(II) does not include actions described in regulations issued to provide for the exceptions described in section 1773(a)(2) of the Anti-Boycott Act of 2018 (50 U.S.C. 4842(a)(2)).”.
SEC. 3. ELIGIBILITY FOR TITLE VI FUNDS.
Title VI of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1121 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new sections:
“SEC. 639. INSTITUTIONAL CERTIFICATIONS.
“(a) Annual Requirement for Institutional Eligibility.—Not later than July 31 of each calendar year beginning on or after the date of enactment of the Protect Economic and Academic Freedom Act of 2026, an institution of higher education participating or applying to participate in any program under this title shall submit to the Secretary the certification required under subsection (b). An institution that does not submit such certification by July 31 of a calendar year shall be ineligible to receive any funds under this title in the first fiscal year that begins after such July 31, including any funds under this title that would otherwise have been available to the institution in such fiscal year for a grant awarded during a previous fiscal year.
“(b) Certification.—An institution shall certify to the Secretary that, for the period beginning on the date of such certification and ending on July 31 of the following year, the institution will—
“(1) permit students and faculty of the certifying institution to participate in academic programs, including conferences, teaching exchanges, cultural exchanges, study abroad programs, joint research, and other collaborative educational activities, in a major strategic partner (as defined in section 487(a)(30)) of the United States in the same manner, and under the same terms and conditions, as students and faculty of the institution are permitted to participate in academic programs in other foreign countries; and
“(2) permit students and faculty of postsecondary educational institutions in such a major strategic partner to participate in academic programs offered by the certifying institution, including conferences, teaching exchanges, cultural exchanges, study abroad programs, joint research, and other collaborative educational activities, in the same manner, and under the same terms and conditions, as students and faculty of other foreign postsecondary educational institutions that are not in such a major strategic partner.
“SEC. 639A. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
“It is the sense of Congress that limitations on cooperative efforts by institutions of higher education, consortia of such institutions, or partnerships between nonprofit educational organizations and institutions of higher education with a major strategic partner (as defined in section 487(a)(30)) of the United States do not serve the security, stability, and economic vitality of the United States.”.
Passed the House of Representatives September 3, 2026.
Attest:
Clerk. 119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 4795
AN ACT
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to prohibit an institution that participates in a nonexpressive commercial boycott of Israel from being eligible for certain funds under that Act, to require an institution that participates in certain programs under that Act to certify that students are not unreasonably obstructed from participating in academic programs in Israel, and for other purposes.
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