Tennessee Governor Bill Lee Signs Bill Banning Confucius Institutes From Public Universities

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee Signs Bill Banning Confucius Institutes From Public Universities

More states need to follow Tennessee’s lead here. Confucius Institutes have been repeatedly and credibly accused of spreading propaganda for the Chinese Communist Party.

Campus Reform reports:

Tennessee governor signs bill banning Confucius Institutes

The governor of Tennessee signed a bill that would require public colleges and the universities in the state to disclose gifts or contracts valued at more than $10,000 coming from a foreign source, and bans Confucius Institutes from existing at any public institution of higher education.

Senate Bill 1191, the “Transparency in Foreign Investment Act,” was signed into law by Tennessee Governor Bill Lee on May 5, and also prohibits public institutions of higher education in the state from accepting gifts or entering contracts with foreign sources if they believe the integrity of the institution’s research would be threatened.

The bill states that if a public college or university enters a contract with a foregin source that is valued at more than $10,000, the institution will be required to disclose how much the contract was worth, who the contract is with, the university department associated with the contract, the start and end date of the contract, as well as a brief description.

Currently, Section 117 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 requires U.S. colleges and universities to report contracts and gifts that contain a value of $250,000 or more.

The bill also states that Confucius Institutes are “prohibited” on public college campuses around the state. According to the Tennessean, there are no active Confucius Institutes within the state’s public universities.

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