WASHINGTON—The House passed H.R. 4795, the Protect Economic and Academic Freedom Act of 2026, led by Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) to prevent taxpayer dollars from supporting universities that engage in discriminatory boycotts of Israel and to protect academic exchange with Israel.

House Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-Mich.) and Rep. Foxx released the following statements after House passage:

“Colleges and universities should be places where ideas are debated, not where discrimination is turned into institutional policy,” Chairwoman McClain said. “Taxpayers should not be forced to support schools that single out Israel or shut students out of academic opportunities because of politics.”

“Confronting antisemitism remains one of the most pressing issues of our time – there is no debate or question about it,” Rep. Foxx said. “The bipartisan Protect Economic and Academic Freedom Act is legislation that has true teeth and makes clear that concrete campaigns of antisemitism in the form of BDS boycotts have no place in any facet of civil society. This legislation is a true prescription to combat antisemitism head on, and I am immensely proud to author it.”

The legislation makes colleges participating in federal student aid programs ineligible if they engage in commercial boycotts of Israel without a valid business reason. It also requires institutions receiving certain international education support to certify that Israeli students, faculty, and institutions are not unfairly blocked from academic exchanges and partnerships.