1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Higher Education Research Protection Act of 2020 . 2. Establishment of Higher Education Initiative (a) In general Chapter 33 of title 28, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: 540D. Higher Education Initiative (a) In general There is established within the Office of Private Sector of the Intelligence Branch of the Federal Bureau of Investigation a Higher Education Initiative, which shall be headed by the Assistant Director of the Office of Private Sector (in this Act referred to as the Assistant Director ). (b) Duties (1) Assistant Director duties The Assistant Director shall investigate and report to the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation any suspected incidents of individuals participating in federally funded research as agents of a foreign government in institutions of higher education and National Academies. (2) Director duties The Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation shall instruct Federal Bureau of Investigation field offices to conduct proactive outreach to institutions of higher education and National Academies within the office’s area of responsibility. (c) Foreign Trade Statistical Program Access For the purpose of carrying out the duties described in subsection (b), the Federal Bureau of Investigation shall have full access to any information collected by the Foreign Trade Statistical Program of the Bureau of the Census. (d) Hiring The Attorney General, acting through the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, shall hire 56 investigative agents to carry out this section. (e) Definition In this section: (1) Foreign government The term foreign government includes the People’s Republic of China or any component thereof, including the Chinese Communist Party, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the Central Military Commission of China, the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, the National People’s Congress of China, or the State Council of China. (2) Higher Education