Discrimination Against People from Countries Deemed Foreign Adversaries (HB 1099)

This bill would create sweeping restrictions against people from countries that have been deemed as “foreign adversaries” by the federal government (including China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia), as well as any other country designated as a threat to critical infrastructure by the governor.

Under the bill, new state and local government contracts for certain tech products would require vendors to swear that they and their subcontractors are not “prohibited persons.”

The original bill prohibited colleges and universities from admitting future students from these countries into qualifying programs, such as STEM, unless they are U.S. citizens, legal permanent residents (green card holders), or granted asylum. The bill was amended to allow other students from these countries, but only if both they and their families undergo an invasive “security review,” which includes information on their finances and any affiliations with various institutions. Students also have to sign a formal statement every year.

The bill would also give the Commissioner for Higher Education the power to add additional qualifying programs with a 30-day notice to university trustees. Currently enrolled students would be grandfathered in, meaning they would not be subject to these prohibitions. And colleges would have to file a one-time report with the commission regarding the number of students from these countries who have been enrolled in qualifying programs over the last ten years.

The bill would also repeal existing law on foreign ownership of agricultural land and replace it with a new, more restrictive prohibition on owning or leasing Indiana property. And it would give the attorney general broad power to enforce those new restrictions.

We oppose this bill because it would mandate blatant discrimination against people based solely on national origin.