(tn.gov/Peg Broadcasting News)
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has introduced legislation to require greater transparency for foreign investments on college and university campuses and prohibit the establishment of Confucius Institutes.
“Colleges and universities are a place for the robust debate of ideas – not a place for foreign governments to operate in the shadows,” said Gov. Lee.
The Transparency in Foreign Investment Act is a key priority in Gov. Lee’s 2021 legislative package. This legislation:
-Prohibits Tennessee’s public colleges and universities from hosting Confucius Institutes, which have concerning ties to communist regimes.
-Requires public institutions to disclose gifts and contracts from foreign sources and refuse any gift or contract that poses a credible national security threat.
-Establishes a disclosure report that public institutions must submit to the Comptroller of the Treasury for public review.