Bill · H.R. 9789· House(119-HR-9789)
Stop PRC Economic Espionage Act of 2026
- Introduced
- 7/20/2026
- Last activity
- 7/20/2026 — Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- Sponsored by
- John Moolenaar
- Cosponsors
- - 1 - 0
- 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
Does this make patent and copyright rules fairer?+5
The bill provides stronger legal recourse to protect intellectual property from entities domiciled in adversary nations.
Would business owners be better off under this?+4
Business owners gain better legal standing to prevent economic espionage from foreign-domiciled entities.
Does this better protect the country from computer attacks?+4
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. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Education And Technology
- Improves Intellectual Property Fairness+5
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Business Owners+4
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Improves Cybersecurity Defense+4
- Economy And Finance
- Improves Consumer Protection+3
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Policing Reform+1
- 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