II 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 838 

To authorize funding for eligible joint ventures between United States and 

Israeli businesses and academic persons, to establish the International 

Energy Advisory Board, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 12, 2007 

Mr. SMITH (for himself, Mr. BINGAMAN, and Ms. LANDRIEU) introduced the 

following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To authorize funding for eligible joint ventures between 

United States and Israeli businesses and academic persons, to establish the International Energy Advisory 

Board, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘United States-Israel 

5 Energy Cooperation Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds that— 

mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with BILLS

2 

•S 838 IS

1 (1) it is in the highest national security inter2 ests of the United States to develop alternative re3 newable energy sources; 

4 (2) the State of Israel is a steadfast ally of the 

5 United States; 

6 (3) the special relationship between the United 

7 States and Israel is manifested in a variety of coop8 erative scientific research and development pro9 grams, such as— 

10 (A) the United States-Israel Binational 

11 Science Foundation (BSF); and 

12 (B) the United States-Israel Binational In13 dustrial Research and Development Foundation 

14 (BIRD); 

15 (4) those programs have made possible many 

16 scientific, technological, and commercial break17 throughs in the fields of life sciences, medicine, bio18 engineering, agriculture, biotechnology, communica19 tions, and others; 

20 (5) on February 1, 1996, the Secretary of En21 ergy and the Israeli Minister of Energy and Infra22 structure signed an agreement to establish a frame23 work for collaboration between the United States 

24 and Israel in energy research and development ac25 tivities; 

mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with BILLS

3 

•S 838 IS

1 (6) Israeli scientists and engineers are at the 

2 forefront of research and development in the field of 

3 alternative renewable energy sources; and 

4 (7) enhanced cooperation between the United 

5 States and Israel for the purpose of research and de6 velopment of alternative renewable energy sources 

7 would be in the national interests of both countries. 

8 SEC. 3. GRANT PROGRAM. 

9 (a) AUTHORITY.—Pursuant to the responsibilities de10 scribed in section 102(10), (14), and (17) of the Depart11 ment of Energy Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7112(10), 

12 (14), and (17)) and section 103(9) of the Energy Reorga13 nization Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5813(9)), the Secretary, 

14 in consultation with the BIRD or BSF, shall award grants 

15 to eligible entities. 

16 (b) APPLICATION.— 

17 (1) SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS.—To receive 

18 a grant under this section, an eligible entity shall 

19 submit an application to the Secretary containing 

20 such information and assurances as the Secretary, in 

21 consultation with the BIRD or BSF, may require. 

22 (2) SELECTION OF ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—The 

23 Secretary, in consultation with the Directors of the 

24 BIRD and BSF, may review any application sub25 mitted by any eligible entity and select any eligible 

mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with BILLS

4 

•S 838 IS

1 entity meeting criteria established by the Secretary, 

2 in consultation with the Advisory Board, for a grant 

3 under this section. 

4 (c) AMOUNT OF GRANT.—The amount of each grant 

5 awarded for a fiscal year under this section shall be deter6 mined by the Secretary, in consultation with the BIRD 

7 or BSF. 

8 (d) PRIVATE FUNDS.—The Secretary may accept 

9 contributions of funds from private sources to carry out 

10 this Act. 

11 (e) OFFICE OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND RENEW12 ABLE ENERGY.—The Secretary shall carry out this sec13 tion through the existing programs at the Office of Energy 

14 Efficiency and Renewable Energy. 

15 (f) RESEARCH ADMINISTRATION.— 

16 (1) IN GENERAL.—The requirements of sections 

17 988 and 989 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 

18 U.S.C. 16352 and 16353) shall apply to any grant 

19 made under this section. 

20 (2) REPAYMENT.— 

21 (A) IN GENERAL.—Any funds repaid to 

22 the BIRD by a grantee for a grant made under 

23 this section shall be— 

24 (i) transferred to the Secretary; 

mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with BILLS

5 

•S 838 IS

1 (ii) deposited by the Secretary into 

2 the Energy Research and Development Ac3 tivities Fund established in subparagraph 

4 (B); and 

5 (iii) available to the Secretary for use 

6 for alternative renewable energy research 

7 and development activities. 

8 (B) REVOLVING FUND.—There is estab9 lished in the Treasury of the United States a 

10 revolving fund known as the Energy Research 

11 and Development Activities Fund. Any amounts 

12 deposited in the Fund pursuant to clause (ii) of 

13 subparagraph (A) shall be available to the Sec14 retary, without fiscal year limitation or further 

15 appropriation, for the purpose described in 

16 clause (iii) of such subparagraph. 

17 (g) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the com18 pletion of work supported by a grant under this section, 

19 each recipient shall submit a report to the Secretary— 

20 (1) documenting how the recipient used the 

21 grant funds; and 

22 (2) evaluating the level of success of each 

23 project funded by the grant. 

mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with BILLS

6 

•S 838 IS

1 SEC. 4. INTERNATIONAL ENERGY ADVISORY BOARD. 

2 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established in the 

3 Department of Energy an International Energy Advisory 

4 Board. 

5 (b) DUTIES.—The Advisory Board shall advise the 

6 Secretary on— 

7 (1) criteria for the recipients of grants awarded 

8 under section 3(a); 

9 (2) the total amount of grant money to be 

10 awarded to all grantees selected by the Secretary, in 

11 consultation with the BIRD; and 

12 (3) the total amount of grant money to be 

13 awarded to all grantees selected by the Secretary, in 

14 consultation with the BSF, for each fiscal year. 

15 (c) MEMBERSHIP.— 

16 (1) COMPOSITION.—The Advisory Board shall 

17 be composed of— 

18 (A) 1 member appointed by the Secretary 

19 of Commerce; 

20 (B) 2 members appointed by the Secretary 

21 of Energy; and 

22 (C) 2 members who shall be Israeli citi23 zens, appointed by the Secretary of Energy 

24 after consultation with appropriate officials in 

25 the Israeli Government. 

mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with BILLS

7 

•S 838 IS

1 (2) DEADLINE FOR APPOINTMENTS.—The ini2 tial appointments under paragraph (1) shall be 

3 made not later than 60 days after the date of enact4 ment of this Act. 

5 (3) TERM.—Each member of the Advisory 

6 Board shall be appointed for a term of 4 years. 

7 (4) VACANCIES.—A vacancy on the Advisory 

8 Board shall be filled in the manner in which the 

9 original appointment was made. 

10 (5) BASIC PAY.— 

11 (A) COMPENSATION.—A member of the 

12 Advisory Board shall serve without pay. 

13 (B) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—Each member of 

14 the Advisory Board shall receive travel ex15 penses, including per diem in lieu of subsist16 ence, in accordance with applicable provisions of 

17 subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United 

18 States Code. 

19 (6) QUORUM.—Three members of the Advisory 

20 Board shall constitute a quorum. 

21 (7) CHAIRPERSON.—The Chairperson of the 

22 Advisory Board shall be designated by the Secretary 

23 of Energy at the time of the appointment. 

mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with BILLS

8 

•S 838 IS

1 (8) MEETINGS.—The Advisory Board shall 

2 meet at least once annually at the call of the Chair3 person. 

4 (d) TERMINATION.—Section 14(a)(2)(B) of the Fed5 eral Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not 

6 apply to the Advisory Board. 

7 SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS. 

8 In this Act: 

9 (1) ADVISORY BOARD.—The term ‘‘Advisory 

10 Board’’ means the International Energy Advisory 

11 Board established by section 4(a). 

12 (2) BIRD.—The term ‘‘BIRD’’ means the 

13 Israel-United States Binational Industrial Research 

14 and Development Foundation. 

15 (3) BSF.—The term ‘‘BSF’’ means the United 

16 States-Israel Binational Science Foundation. 

17 (4) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti18 ty’’ means a joint venture comprised of both Israeli 

19 and United States private business entities or a joint 

20 venture comprised of both Israeli academic persons 

21 (who reside and work in Israel) and United States 

22 academic persons, that— 

23 (A) carries out an eligible project; and 

24 (B) is selected by the Secretary, in con25 sultation with the BIRD or BSF, using the crimstockstill on PROD1PC66 with BILLS

9 

•S 838 IS

1 teria established by the Secretary, in consulta2 tion with the Advisory Board. 

3 (5) ELIGIBLE PROJECT.—The term ‘‘eligible 

4 project’’ means a project to encourage cooperation 

5 between the United States and Israel on research, 

6 development, or commercialization of alternative en7 ergy, improved energy efficiency, or renewable en8 ergy sources. 

9 (6) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

10 the Secretary of Energy, acting through the Assist11 ant Secretary of Energy for Energy Efficiency and 

12 Renewable Energy. 

13 SEC. 6. TERMINATION. 

14 The grant program authorized under section 3 and 

15 the Advisory Board shall terminate upon the expiration 

16 of the 7-year period which begins on the date of the enact17 ment of this Act. 

18 SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

19 The Secretary is authorized to expend not more than 

20 $20,000,000 to carry out this Act for each of fiscal years 

21 2008 through 2014 from funds previously authorized to 

22 the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. 

Æ 

mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with BILLS