Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI) of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party has announced his support for new bipartisan legislation aimed at curbing the smuggling of American-made artificial intelligence chips and other sensitive technologies into China. The proposed Stop Stealing Our Chips Act would create a whistleblower incentive program within the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), offering protections and rewards to individuals who report violations of export control laws.
The bill was introduced by Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. (R-NJ) and Congresswoman Julie Johnson (D-TX). It has received additional support from Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), House Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-MI), and Congressman Josh Harder (D-CA).
“Artificial intelligence is the defining technology of the new Cold War. Whether the U.S. or China wins this race will be determined in large part by who has more and better chips. The Stop Stealing Our Chips Act will encourage those who witness chip smuggling to speak out while shielding them from retaliation. Whistleblowers who protect our national security deserve to be protected by our laws," said Chairman Moolenaar.
“I’m proud to join this bipartisan effort to crack down on the smuggling of advanced U.S. chips to the Chinese Communist Party. A strong whistleblower program at BIS will help surface the facts we too often miss and ensure our export-control laws actually carry weight. Effectively enforcing our export controls is essential to protecting our national security," said Ranking Member Krishnamoorthi.
“China and other foreign adversaries are actively working to circumvent U.S. export control laws and illegally obtain advanced American chips and other sensitive technologies. I introduced the Stop Stealing Our Chips Act to help authorities identify and mitigate those threats. By offering robust protections and meaningful financial incentives for whistleblowers with credible information, we can strengthen enforcement, prevent violations before they occur, and protect our national security," said Congressman Kean.
"America’s technological leadership is one of our greatest strategic advantages — and we cannot allow foreign adversaries to steal it, risking our national security. This is especially important in my district, home to Texas Instruments headquarters — one of the top semiconductor companies in the world — as well as Qorvo, which produces critical components for F-35s and other key defense technologies, and many more. The Stop Stealing Our Chips Act is a commonsense, bipartisan step to protect our most sensitive supply chains and ensure that the innovations powering our economy and safety stay in American hands," said Congresswoman Johnson.
"The Stop Stealing our Chips Act is about protecting America’s technological edge and holding bad actors accountable. By cracking down on illegal exports and empowering whistleblowers, we will make sure U.S.-made AI chips strengthen our future, not our adversaries," said Chairwoman McClain.
"U.S. chip leadership is the product of decades of American innovation and central to our economic and national security. The Stop Stealing Our Chips Act is a common-sense measure to maintain this hard-won advantage and prevent China from using American technology against us," said Congressman Harder.
If enacted, the legislation would require BIS to set up a secure public portal for whistleblower submissions; establish an incentive program rewarding individuals whose credible information leads to investigations or fines; provide confidentiality protections; implement anti-retaliation safeguards; allow both U.S. citizens and foreign nationals—excluding known terrorists or federal employees acting within their duties—to receive 10–30% of any resulting penalty when their information leads authorities to penalize violators.
A companion bill was introduced in April 2025 in the Senate by Senators Mike Rounds (R-SD) and Mark Warner (D-VA).
