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Bills/119th Congress · House

H.R. 6487

Introduced

SECURE STEM Act

Sponsor
RPat Harrigan· North Carolina
Introduced
December 5, 2025
Policy area
Immigration
Latest action
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.December 5, 2025
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6487 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 6487

To prohibit the issuance of certain visas to nationals of the People's 
Republic of China, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

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.
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