H.R. 4795 — Protect Economic and Academic Freedom Act of 2026

This section requires institutions of higher education participating in federal student aid programs to refrain from nonexpressive commercial boycotts of major strategic partners of the United States as a condition of eligibility. It defines major strategic partners as countries listed in section 4 of Public Law 113–296 and entities organized under their laws, and defines nonexpressive commercial boycotts as commercial actions intended to limit relations without a valid business reason, excluding exceptions under the Anti-Boycott Act of 2018.

This section requires institutions of higher education participating in Title VI programs to submit an annual certification by July 31 that they will permit students and faculty to engage in academic programs, exchanges, study abroad, and joint research with major strategic partners on the same terms as with other foreign countries, and that they will extend reciprocal access to institutions from those partners. Institutions failing to certify become ineligible for Title VI funds in the following fiscal year. It also expresses the sense of Congress that limits on such cooperative efforts do not serve U.S. security, stability, or economic vitality.