Texas Targets Foreign Influence in Research | San Antonio News

San Antonio News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Aug 18, 2026 · 1m

Texas lawmakers are ramping up scrutiny on college research security as Governor Abbott prepares to unveil new rules targeting foreign influence in education. Building on last year’s law, universities must now screen non-permanent foreign researchers and those linked to adversarial nations — defined by U.S. intelligence or the governor — before granting access to sensitive data. Failure to comply risks losing state funding, with violations potentially leading to blocked future budget increases. Abbott’s broader strategy includes an executive order blocking new H-1B visas without special…