Rep. Pat Fallon, R-Texas, has introduced a bill that would prohibit the Secretary of Defense from entering into IT contracts with entities that offer certain services to China.
“The ‘Safeguard American Innovation Act’ is vital to securing our nation’s technology and deterring foreign threats, particularly from China,” Fallon said in a statement published Tuesday.
“This bill will take action to prevent this by blocking any Department of Defense (DOD) contracts with companies tied to China that could jeopardize our national security,” he added.
Breaking Defense reported that the proposed measure seeks to bar the DOD secretary from doing business with IT firms that run or operate research and development in China, are substantially funded by the Chinese government and/or have provided China with access to source code in software.
According to the congressman, China implements laws that force businesses to share software source code and other sensitive technology.
“By banning contracts with companies that operate in China, are funded by the People’s Republic of China (PRC), or allow China access to critical code, this bill helps ensure our IT infrastructure remains secure and our technological advancements stay out of adversaries’ hands,” Fallon stated.