Testimony Before the Louisiana Senate on Senate Bill 229

Neetu Arnold testified in a hearing on Senate Bill 229.

Watch the entire testimony here.

Chairwoman Mizell and other members of this committee, thank you for the opportunity to speak with you today. It is a privilege to offer testimony on Senate Bill 229. My name is Neetu Arnold and I am a Paulson Policy Analyst at the Manhattan Institute, where I research education. Senate Bill 229 covers a lot of different issues, so I will focus my remarks on university disclosure of foreign funds – a topic I have researched extensively.

For years, there have been growing concerns about the flow of foreign money into American universities and the potential for foreign actors, including adversarial regimes, to influence research, administrative decisions, and curriculum. Transparency is a critical first step to expose and prevent influence campaigns. At the federal level, Section 117 of the Higher Education Act requires universities to report foreign gifts or contracts totaling $250,000 or more in a calendar year. But federal law is insufficient– from a high reporting threshold to weak enforcement mechanisms. As a result, many foreign gifts go unreported. Several states, on the other hand, have enacted additional reporting laws that are much stronger.

Click here to read the full testimony.

______________________

Neetu Arnold is a Paulson Policy Analyst at the Manhattan Institute.