II 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1862 

To establish a joint energy cooperation program within the Department of 

Energy to fund eligible ventures between United States and Israeli businesses and academic persons in the national interest, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

OCTOBER 7 (legislative day, OCTOBER 6), 2005 

Mr. SMITH (for himself, Mr. JOHNSON, and Mrs. FEINSTEIN) introduced the 

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

Foreign Relations 

A BILL 

To establish a joint energy cooperation program within the 

Department of Energy to fund eligible ventures between 

United States and Israeli businesses and academic persons in the national interest, 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— 
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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; 
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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. DEFINITIONS. 

9 In this Act: 

10 (1) BIRD.—The term ‘‘BIRD’’ means the 

11 United States-Israel Binational Industrial Research 

12 and Development Foundation. 

13 (2) BSF.—The term ‘‘BSF’’ means the United 

14 States-Israel Binational Science Foundation. 

15 (3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

16 the Secretary of Energy, acting through the Assist17 ant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable 

18 Energy. 

19 SEC. 4. GRANT PROGRAM. 

20 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—In implementing the Agree21 ment entitled the ‘‘Agreement between the Department of 

22 Energy of the United States of America and the Ministry 

23 of Energy and Infrastructure of Israel Concerning Energy 

24 Cooperation’’, dated February 1, 1996, the Secretary shall 

25 establish a grant program to support research, develop-
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1 ment, and commercialization of alternative renewable en2 ergy sources. 

3 (b) TYPES OF ENERGY.—In carrying out subsection 

4 (a), the Secretary may make grants to promote— 

5 (1) solar energy; 

6 (2) biomass energy; 

7 (3) energy efficiency; 

8 (4) wind energy; 

9 (5) fossil energy; and 

10 (6) other types of energy, as determined by the 

11 Secretary. 

12 (c) ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS.—An applicant shall be el13 igible to receive a grant under this section if the project 

14 of the applicant— 

15 (1)(A) addresses a requirement in the areas of 

16 alternative energy, improved energy efficiency, or re17 newable energy sources determined by the Secretary 

18 and applies for the grant in accordance with proce19 dures established under this section; or 

20 (B) is a joint venture between— 

21 (i)(I) a for-profit business entity, academic 

22 institution, National Laboratory (as defined in 

23 section 2 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005), or 

24 nonprofit entity in the United States; and 
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1 (II) a for-profit business entity, academic 

2 institution, or nonprofit entity in Israel; or 

3 (ii)(I) the Government of the United 

4 States; and 

5 (II) the Government of Israel; and 

6 (2) meets any other qualifications that the Sec7 retary may require. 

8 (d) APPLICATIONS.— 

9 (1) IN GENERAL.—To be eligible to receive a 

10 grant under this section, an applicant shall submit 

11 an application for the grant to— 

12 (A) the Secretary, in accordance with pro13 cedures established by the Secretary; or 

14 (B) the BIRD or BSF, in accordance with 

15 procedures established by the respective entity. 

16 (2) USE OF BIRD AND BSF.— 

17 (A) ALLOCATION FOR BIRD AND BSF.— 

18 The Secretary shall use not less than 50 per19 cent of the funds that are provided to make 

20 grants under this section for a fiscal year to 

21 make grants through the BIRD and BSF. 

22 (B) ALLOCATION BETWEEN BIRD AND

23 BSF.—The Secretary shall determine the man24 ner in which funds made available for a fiscal 
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1 year under this paragraph are allocated be2 tween the BIRD and BSF. 

3 (e) ADVISORY BOARD.— 

4 (1) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall es5 tablish an advisory board to— 

6 (A) monitor how grants are awarded under 

7 this section; and 

8 (B) provide to the Secretary periodic per9 formance reviews of actions taken to carry out 

10 this section. 

11 (2) COMPOSITION.—The advisory board shall be 

12 composed of— 

13 (A) a representative of the Government of 

14 the United States, appointed by the Secretary; 

15 and 

16 (B) a representative of the Government of 

17 Israel, appointed by the Government of Israel. 

18 (f) REPAYMENT.— 

19 (1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), 

20 the Secretary may require a recipient of a grant 

21 under this section to repay to the Secretary, the 

22 BIRD, or the BSF, as determined by the Secretary, 

23 an amount equal to— 
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1 (A) the amount of the grant, including in2 terest at a rate determined by the Secretary; 

3 and 

4 (B) such charges for the administration of 

5 the grant as the Secretary determines appro6 priate. 

7 (2) LIMITATION.—In carrying out paragraph 

8 (1), the Secretary may not require a grant recipient 

9 to repay more than 150 percent of the amount of 

10 the grant, adjusted in accordance with the Consumer 

11 Price Index for all-urban consumers, United States 

12 city average, as published by the Bureau of Labor 

13 Statistics. 

14 (g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

15 authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 

16 $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2006 through 2012. 

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