This bill increases criminal penalties for espionage committed on behalf of foreign adversaries, specifically targeting economic espionage and defense information theft. For individuals committing economic espionage to benefit a "covered nation" (a defined category of foreign adversaries), the bill establishes mandatory minimum sentences of 10-15 years imprisonment, or 10-20 years if the offense causes severe harm to economic or national security; organizations face fines of up to $20 million or five times the value of stolen trade secrets. The legislation similarly strengthens penalties for gathering or transmitting national defense information on behalf of covered nations, imposing minimum sentences of 15 years to life. The bill applies to anyone—whether individuals or organizations—caught stealing classified defense information or trade secrets with the intent to benefit hostile foreign governments, and it eliminates eligibility for supervised release in these cases. No specific funding or implementation timeline is included in the legislation; the amendments take effect upon passage.
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