Legislation· Dec 2025Sponsored by Kevin Hern (R)
PROTECT Our Kids Act
Blocks federal education funding for schools partnered with Chinese government entities.
Tradeoff
Cuts off education funding to schools with ties to China's government or Confucius Institutes. Schools with existing contracts can request waivers if they show the partnership benefits US security and economy.
What's in it
Federal cost of less than $500,000 over 2025-2030 for Department of Education implementation; no impact on deficit or direct spending.
The $500,000 is just the federal cost to enforce the rule—the policy's impact is on schools and organizations that currently receive Chinese government support, which would need to sever those ties to remain eligible for federal education funds.
The House passed this 247-164 on December 4, 2025 — sitting in the Senate.
House
Introduced
(Feb 6, 2025)
House
Committee on Education and Workforce(Feb 6, 2025)
House
The Committee on Education and Workforce voted to send it to the floor
Reported 21 - 13(Feb 12, 2025)
Committee report H. Rept. 119-14.
Senate
Received from the House
on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions(Dec 4, 2025)
House
Passage of the bill
Passed(Roll #313 · Dec 4, 2025)
247 yeanay 164
- Kevin Kiley (R-CA)
- Andy Barr (R-KY)
Passage votes so far· Dec 4, 2025· 119th Congress · 2025–2027