[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 115 (Thursday, July 11, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S5116]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 2883. Mr. SCOTT of South Carolina submitted an amendment intended 
to be proposed by him to the bill S. 4638, to authorize appropriations 
for fiscal year 2025 for military activities of the Department of 
Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the 
Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for 
such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on 
the table; as follows:

       At the end of subtitle D of title XII, add the following:

     SEC. 1266. REPORT ON VETTING OF STUDENTS FROM NATIONAL 
                   DEFENSE UNIVERSITIES AND OTHER ACADEMIC 
                   INSTITUTIONS OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA.

       (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in 
     consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security, shall 
     submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report 
     that includes--
       (1) an evaluation of the screening process for nationals of 
     the People's Republic of China applying for visas who attend 
     or have attended--
       (A) a university administered by the Ministry of Industry 
     and Information Technology of the People's Republic of China; 
     or
       (B) an academic institution of the People's Republic of 
     China identified on the list required under section 
     1286(c)(9)(A) of the John S. McCain National Defense 
     Authorization Act of 2019 (Public Law 115-232; 10 U.S.C. 4001 
     note);
       (2) an assessment of any vulnerabilities in the screening 
     process, and recommendations for legal, regulatory, or other 
     changes or steps to address such vulnerabilities; and
       (3) to the extent possible, for the 5-year period ending on 
     such date of enactment, the number of F visas or J visas 
     approved and denied by the Department of State for nationals 
     of the People's Republic of China in the fields of study 
     listed in the Department of Homeland Security STEM Designated 
     Degree Program List referred to in the notice of the 
     Department of Homeland Security entitled ``Update to the 
     Department of Homeland Security STEM Designated Degree 
     Program List'' (88 Fed. Reg. 132 (July 12, 2023)), including 
     the number of such nationals who applied for such visas to 
     pursue an advanced degree or repeat a degree in such fields.
       (b) Appropriate Committees of Congress Defined.--In this 
     section, the term ``appropriate committees of Congress'' 
     means--
       (1) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on 
     Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs; and
       (2) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on 
     Homeland Security of the House of Representatives.
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