John Moolenaar (R-MI)
Stop PRC Economic Espionage Act of 2026
A Republican bill with 1 Republican cosponsor · See the cosponsor
Last activity — Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, known as the "Stop PRC Economic Espionage Act of 2026," seeks to amend section 1839 of title 18, United States Code. The primary goal is to change how a foreign instrumentality is defined regarding the prohibition on economic espionage. It adds a provision that any entity domiciled in a covered nation is considered a foreign instrumentality. This change occurs regardless of whether the entity is substantially owned or controlled by a foreign government.
Yes· 3 of 5
- Scored +5
Does this make patent and copyright rules fairer?
The bill provides stronger legal recourse to protect intellectual property from entities domiciled in adversary nations.
- Scored +4
Would business owners be better off under this?
Business owners gain better legal standing to prevent economic espionage from foreign-domiciled entities.
- Scored +4
Does this better protect the country from computer attacks?
Expanding the definition of foreign instrumentalities helps protect against state-linked intellectual property theft and cyber-economic threats.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
- Strengthened prohibitions on economic espionage: By expanding the definition of a foreign instrumentality to include any entity domiciled in a covered nation, the bill adjusts the legal standard under section 1839(1) of title 18, United States Code. This could provide broader legal standing to prevent economic espionage.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No specific negative impacts are detailed in the text: The provided text focuses solely on the legislative amendment to the definition of a foreign instrumentality and does not list any specific burdens or negative consequences.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Education And Technology
- Does this make patent and copyright rules fairer? — The bill provides stronger legal recourse to protect intellectual property from entities domiciled in adversary nations.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would business owners be better off under this? — Business owners gain better legal standing to prevent economic espionage from foreign-domiciled entities.
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Does this better protect the country from computer attacks? — Expanding the definition of foreign instrumentalities helps protect against state-linked intellectual property theft and cyber-economic threats.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices? — The bill strengthens protections against economic espionage by expanding the definition of foreign instrumentalities.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this change how police departments operate? — The bill enhances legal frameworks used to police and prosecute economic espionage activities.
- 8/3/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 7/20/2026
- Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- Introduced in House
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Lauren BoebertRepublican · Colorado