STOP China Act
The STOP China Act (Safeguarding Transit Operations to Prohibit China Act) prohibits the use of federal funds to purchase vehicles or vehicle technologies produced by entities based in or connected to certain foreign adversary nations, particularly the People's Republic of China. The bill addresses national security concerns by preventing U.S. taxpayer dollars from supporting Chinese-subsidized vehicle manufacturers and their technologies. It expands existing restrictions on rolling stock procurement to cover a broader range of vehicles and infrastructure, requiring the U.S. Trade Representative to maintain a public list of covered entities whose products cannot be purchased with federal funds. The legislation reflects congressional concern about China's industrial policies, market manipulation, and military-civil fusion strategy that could threaten U.S. national security and economic competitiveness.
Key Points
- 1Prohibits federal transit funding (Chapter 53 funds) and other Department of Transportation appropriations from being used to procure vehicles or electric power trains from covered entities based in adversary nations
- 2Requires the U.S. Trade Representative to publish and regularly update a public list of covered entities whose products are subject to the prohibition, with updates every 90 days initially, then annually
- 3Defines "covered entities" broadly to include companies headquartered in, owned by, or controlled by adversary nations, as well as their subsidiaries, affiliates, and joint ventures
- 4Extends prohibition to infrastructure projects for fueling or charging buses from covered entities if the vehicles were procured after the Act's enactment
- 5Provides exceptions allowing procurement of covered vehicles solely for safety inspection, investigation, research, development, or testing purposes