HR 6487 — SECURE STEM Act

Summary

Prohibits the State Department and Department of Homeland Security from issuing visas to and admitting nationals of China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and Cuba under H-1B specialty worker, O-1 extraordinary ability, J-1 exchange visitor, and F/M/J student visa categories.
Prohibits national research laboratories from employing nationals of these countries who were in the United States under covered visa categories on the date the bill becomes law.
Allows the Secretary of State and Secretary of Homeland Security to jointly waive these prohibitions on a case-by-case basis if determined to be in the national interest.
Requires the State Department to submit biannual reports to Congress listing the number of waivers granted, the justification for each waiver, and biographical information about waiver recipients including prior affiliations with foreign state-sponsored institutions.
Requires the State Department to issue implementing rules within 90 days of the bill's enactment.

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)

Rep. Harrigan, Pat (R-NC) [#10]

4 cosponsors

Money behind the sponsor

Top reported contributors to Pat Harrigan’s campaign committee (2024 cycle) — who funds the bill’s sponsor, not a claim about this bill. Data from FEC.

GRANITE HARDWOODS $14,200
THE KEITH CORPORATION $9,900
D&H MARKETING $8,600
INDIAN TRIBE $7,600
ALTRIA CLIENT SERVICES $6,600

Organizations whose employees gave the most — itemized individual contributions grouped by the donor’s reported employer (FEC Schedule A). Full finance for Pat Harrigan → · Outside spending →

Actions (2)

Dec 5, 2025 Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned. · house
Dec 5, 2025 Introduced in House

Similar bills (6)

Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.

Full text

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

December 5, 2025

Mr. Harrigan (for himself and Mr. Moolenaar) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

A BILL

To prohibit the issuance of certain visas to nationals of the People’s Republic of China, 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 “Securing Education and Critical U.S. Research and Employment in STEM Act of 2025” or the “SECURE STEM Act”.

SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON CERTAIN VISA ISSUANCES.

(a) Visa Ineligibility.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law and except as provided in subsection (c), the Secretary of State may not issue a visa to, and the Secretary of Homeland Security may not admit to the United States, a covered foreign national who is seeking admission to the United States under a covered visa category.

(b) Employment Prohibition at National Laboratories.—Beginning on the date of enactment of this Act, a national research laboratory may not employ a covered foreign national who is present in the United States under a covered visa category on the date of enactment of this Act.

(c) National Interest Waiver.—The Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security may jointly waive the application of subsections (a) and (b) with respect to a specific individual if the Secretaries determine that such a waiver is in the National interest of the United States.

SEC. 3. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.

The Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security, shall submit to the Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate, a biannual report, including, for the previous 180-day period—

(1) the total number of waivers granted under section 2(c);

(2) a summary of the justification for each waiver; and

(3) biographical information about each recipient of such a waiver, including any prior affiliation with foreign state- sponsored institutions.

SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

For purposes of this Act:

(1) The term “covered visa category” means a nonimmigrant visa issued under any of the following:

(A) Section 101(a)(15)(H)(i)(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)(H)(i)(b)).

(B) Section 101(a)(15)(O)(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)(O)(i)).

(C) Section 101(a)(15)(J) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)(J)).

(D) Section 101(a)(15)(F), (J), or (M) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)(F), (J), or (M)) (student visas).

(2) The term “covered foreign national” means an alien who is a national of any of the following:

(A) The People’s Republic of China.

(B) The Russian Federation.

(C) The Islamic Republic of Iran.

(D) The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

(E) The Republic of Cuba.

(3) The term “national research laboratory” means a “Federal laboratory” as such term is defined in section 4 of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3703).

SEC. 5. RULES.

Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security, shall make such rules as may be necessary to carry out this Act. <all>

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