Chip Security Act
Summary
What This Bill Does
The Chip Security Act is an export-control bill for advanced chips and computing hardware. It states that U.S.-developed technology should support allies and partners while protecting national security, and that advanced integrated circuits and computing hardware exported from the United States must be protected from diversion, theft, unauthorized use, and tampering. The bill defines covered integrated circuit products by export-control classification numbers such as 3A090, 3A001.z, 4A090, and 4A003.z and defines chip security mechanisms as software, firmware, hardware, or physical mechanisms. Within 180 days, the Secretary of Commerce must require covered products to include location-verification security mechanisms before export, reexport, or in-country transfer to a foreign country, and must require license holders to report credible information that the product is in the wrong location, has been diverted to another user, or has been tampered with.
Who Benefits and How
Commerce export-control officials benefit from a statutory tool to verify the location of sensitive chips and identify diversion. U.S. national security agencies benefit because location verification and reporting can reveal smuggling, theft, or unauthorized use of controlled computing hardware. Allied governments receiving advanced computing capabilities benefit from stronger safeguards that make U.S. exports more defensible. Semiconductor security vendors benefit from demand for location-verification, anti-tamper, and monitoring technology. U.S. semiconductor manufacturers benefit from clearer compliance rules for protected exports.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Exporters of covered integrated circuit products must outfit products with security mechanisms before foreign transfer and must report credible diversion or tampering information to the Under Secretary for Industry and Security. Semiconductor manufacturers and computing-hardware producers must integrate feasible location-verification technology. Foreign end users face stronger monitoring and reporting consequences if products move to unauthorized locations or users. The Commerce Department and BIS export-control staff must define feasible mechanisms, administer reports, and enforce the new requirements.
Key Provisions
- Provides congressional findings on protecting U.S. advanced computing exports from diversion, theft, unauthorized use, and tampering.
- Defines covered integrated circuit products by specified export-control classification numbers and successor classifications.
- Requires Commerce within 180 days to mandate chip security mechanisms with location verification before foreign export, reexport, or in-country transfer.
- Requires license holders to report credible information about wrong-location use, unauthorized users, diversion, or tampering.
- Defines chip security mechanisms to include software, firmware, hardware-enabled, and physical security tools.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Requires the Commerce Department to mandate location-verification security mechanisms for covered advanced integrated circuit products before export, reexport, or in-country transfer, and requires license holders to report credible information about diversion, unauthorized location, user changes, or tampering.
Key Policy Areas
Technology, Export Controls, National Security, Semiconductors
Primary Purpose
Requires the Commerce Department to mandate location-verification security mechanisms for covered advanced integrated circuit products before export, reexport, or in-country transfer, and requires license holders to report credible information about diversion, unauthorized location, user changes, or tampering.
Policy Domains
House resolution provisions
Identified Gains
- Commerce export-control officials
- U.S. national security agencies
- Allied governments receiving advanced chips
- Semiconductor security vendors
- U.S. semiconductor manufacturers
Identified Costs
- Covered chip exporters
- Semiconductor manufacturers
- Computing-hardware producers
- Foreign chip end users
- BIS export-control staff
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
ReportedOrdered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute …
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
Mr. Huizenga (for himself, Mr. Foster, Mr. Moolenaar, Mr. Krishnamoorthi, …
Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Introduced in House
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Covered chip exporters, Foreign chip end users, Semiconductor manufacturers
Positive-direction: Semiconductor security vendors
Negative-direction: Covered chip exporters, Foreign chip end users, Semiconductor manufacturers
BIS export-control staff, Commerce export-control officials
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "bis"
- → BIS export-control office
- "commerce"
- → Secretary of Commerce
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology