Tennessee

Tennessee Takes Steps To Stop State Procurement of Restricted China Tech

Posted on by China Tech Threat
This past January, Tennessee State Representative John Ragan, Chairman of the Government Operations Committee, introduced The Procurement Protection Act (HB 1841) which was followed by the companion Senate bill (SB 2859) introduced by Senator Kerry Roberts. The bills prohibit certain foreign entities, including China from submitting bids for contracts with the state or a political subdivision of the state and requires entities bidding on contracts to make certain disclosures and certifications. Updated 2024 research from China Tech Threat (CTT) found that Tennessee has continued to spend money on restricted Chinese-owned technology. Since CTT’s original report in 2023, the state has spent an additional $6,030 in 2024 and $8,446 in 2023. The introduction of these bills are an important step to… Read More

2024 State Momentum Update: February 7

Posted on by China Tech Threat
Since our last update on January 23, a number of states have added to the strong momentum with bills to prohibit the purchase of technology by companies owned or operated by the Chinese government. Below is the latest roundup of legislative activity by state lawmakers leading the fight to help protect residents, businesses, government offices, infrastructure, and personal and sensitive data from threats posed by the Chinese government. Utah (New): On January 26, 2024 Representative Candice Pierucci introduced the Public Entity Restrictions bill, HB 404. Among other things, it prohibits procurement of technology or technology services, networks, or systems from restricted foreign entities, including China.  Maryland (New): On February 2, 2024 Delegate Brian Chisolm introduced HB 894 which prohibits an… Read More

Tennessee Should Take Next Steps To Ban Chinese Tech Following TikTok Ban

Posted on by China Tech Threat
In April, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed into law Bill SB0834/HB1445 banning access to platforms and apps that are hosted from China. The signing of the bills comes after continuous potential threats of data leaks to the PRC. While banning Chinese applications is a first step, Tennessee must do more. Having spent more than $330,000 on technology from Chinese-owned manufacturers, the state must stop these purchases.  In a recent report, China Tech Threat discovered that between 2019 and 2022, the state of Tennessee spent $336,476 on Chinese government-owned technology manufacturers Lexmark and Lenovo that have been banned by U.S. military and intelligence agencies due to their connection to the Chinese government and military.  States that are continuing their contracts and… Read More