HR 4795: Protect Economic and Academic Freedom Act of 2026

Congress: 119 · Status: passed · Israel/Palestine classification: pro-Israel

Data (JSON) — machine-readable record of this bill (identifiers, sponsor, classification, actions, and the member-by-member vote breakdown).

Official record on Congress.gov — full text, actions, and cosponsor history for HR 4795.

Sponsor: Foxx, Virginia (R-North Carolina)

Summary

Protect Economic and Academic Freedom Act of 2026 This bill prohibits institutions of higher education (IHEs) that participate in federal student aid programs from engaging in boycotts against Israel. Specifically, IHEs may not engage in a commercial action intended to limit commercial relations with Israel, or with an entity licensed by, regulated by, or organized under the laws of Israel, that is not based on a valid business reason.  Further, IHEs receiving, or applying to receive, Title VI funds (federal funding for foreign language and international education programs) must annually certify that (1) students and faculty are allowed to participate in academic programs located in Israel in the same manner and under the same terms and conditions as programs in other foreign countries, and (2) students and faculty at postsecondary institutions located in Israel may participate in such IHE’s academic programs in the same manner and under the same terms and conditions as students and faculty from other foreign countries. 

Editorial Explainer

Colleges that accept federal student aid are banned from boycotting Israel or Israeli entities unless there is a specific business reason for doing so. Schools receiving federal funding for foreign language and international programs must certify annually that students and faculty can participate in academic programs in Israel on equal terms as other countries, and that Israeli students and faculty can participate in US college programs on the same basis as students from other nations.

Why it matters

This restricts institutional academic freedom by tying federal financial aid to a prohibition on Israel boycotts and requiring affirmative certification of equal access to Israeli programs. The law treats Israel differently from other countries by singling out boycotts of it for federal penalty, which affects colleges' ability to set their own investment and partnership policies.

Cosponsors (1)

Roll-call votes (433)

Data last synced: 2026-10-23.