Indiana has shown the nation how to protect citizens from foreign adversaries at the state level.
This leadership follows a congressional report showing foreign adversaries are actively influencing American academia — shining a spotlight on Indiana and Purdue University, in particular, as both a model for reform and a case study in risk.
The report, issued in September by the U.S. House Select Committee on China, which focused on the threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), commended Purdue for prohibiting funding from foreign adversaries and clearly outlining information security, intellectual property protection and travel restrictions. However, the report also outlined ongoing university risk, warning that Purdue “maintains considerable faculty-level engagement with Chinese institutions.” Purdue employs 16 visiting faculty from China, and another six professors are on sabbatical in China. Further, some of these visiting faculty members are associated with the Chinese government agency responsible for developing new military weapons and dual-use — military and civilian — scientific research.
The report underscores a clear reality: Foreign adversaries are active and influencing American academia. But the threat extends off campus. Foreign adversaries such as the CCP use a wide range of tools to project influence inside the United States, from academic partnerships and intellectual property theft to land acquisition, supply chain leverage and political lobbying. This warfare is sophisticated, persistent and often difficult to detect.
For years, much of the responsibility for addressing these threats has been left to Washington. Still, the Purdue example makes clear that many vulnerabilities exist at the state level — in universities, procurement systems, land markets and even political processes. That is why the Indiana General Assembly’s recent passage of Senate Bill 256 is so significant and worthy of recognition.
Senate Majority Leader Chris Garten, R-Charlestown, authored the bill, and Rep. Matt Commons, R-Williamsport, sponsored it in the House — legislation they described as setting the “gold standard for American sovereignty.” Credit is also due to Gov. Mike Braun for his leadership in supporting and signing this bill into law.
With overwhelming bipartisan support, Indiana enacted one of the most comprehensive state-level national security laws in the country. The legislation recognizes that protecting Hoosiers requires a proactive, state-based response to foreign influence.
The new law establishes a foreign agent registration requirement, ensuring individuals acting on behalf of hostile foreign governments cannot operate in the shadows. This is a foundational protection, rooted in transparency; policymakers and the public deserve to know if foreign agents are attempting to shape decisions in their state.
It also strengthens protections around sensitive technology and state contracts, limiting access for companies tied to foreign adversaries. As China continues to manufacture components embedded in everyday technology, the risk of back doors and vulnerabilities grows. This applies to consumer devices such as computers and cameras, but even more critically to government systems that handle sensitive data.
The law also blocks state resources from flowing to entities tied to foreign terrorist organizations, increases oversight in higher education by requiring greater transparency around foreign students and research in sensitive fields — a direct response to the risks highlighted in the Purdue report — and restricts foreign land ownership by adversarial nations, addressing growing concerns about strategic acquisitions near critical infrastructure.
In short, this omnibus state security bill addresses the full spectrum of threats — both covert and overt — from foreign adversaries.
Passing laws like this is why I started State Shield — legislatures and city halls are the new front lines in the war against foreign adversaries. While Indiana has taken a huge step, the reality is our adversaries continue to adapt their tactics, and other states should take note. The threats we face are not confined to Washington. Protecting America now starts in the states, and Indiana has shown the nation what can be done.
Joe Gebbia Sr. is founder of State Shield, a nonprofit that advances policies to counter foreign influence.
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