I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1795 

To authorize the Secretary of Defense, upon request of the Ministry of 

Defense of Israel and with the concurrence of the Secretary of State, 

to carry out research, development, test, and evaluation activities, on 

a joint basis with Israel, to establish directed energy capabilities that 

address threats to the United States, deployed forces of the United 

States, or Israel, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 14, 2019 

Mr. TED LIEU of California (for himself and Ms. STEFANIK) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services, 

and in addition to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, for a period to be 

subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 

of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To authorize the Secretary of Defense, upon request of the 

Ministry of Defense of Israel and with the concurrence 

of the Secretary of State, to carry out research, development, test, and evaluation activities, on a joint basis 

with Israel, to establish directed energy capabilities that 

address threats to the United States, deployed forces 

of the United States, or Israel, 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, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

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

3 Directed Energy Cooperation Act’’. 

4 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

5 Congress finds the following: 

6 (1) Directed energy platforms are electro7 magnetic systems capable of converting chemical or 

8 electrical energy to radiated energy and focusing it 

9 on a target, resulting in physical damage that de10 grades or neutralizes an adversarial capability. 

11 These systems include high-energy lasers that emit 

12 photons and high-power microwaves that release ra13 diofrequency waves. 

14 (2) Directed energy platforms hold enormous 

15 potential for non-lethal, defensive capabilities, in16 cluding protection against advanced missiles and 

17 swarms of unmanned aerial systems. 

18 (3) At a fraction of the per-use cost of kinetic 

19 defense platforms, directed energy capabilities could 

20 greatly enhance the deterrence posture of the United 

21 States and protect against emerging threats such as 

22 hypersonic and maneuverable missiles. 

23 (4) The United States and Israel successfully 

24 partnered on directed energy capabilities during the 

25 1990s and early 2000s based on earlier-generation 


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1 chemical laser technology, including the Tactical 

2 High Energy Laser (THEL). 

3 (5) In response to technological advances and 

4 emerging threats, the United States has increased 

5 investments in next-generation directed energy capa6 bilities and is exploring the potential for boost-phase 

7 ballistic missile defense with the Low-Power Laser 

8 Demonstrator program. Existing programs within 

9 each service branch are developing technologies to 

10 protect members of the Armed Forces from rocket, 

11 artillery, mortar, and unmanned aerial systems. 

12 (6) Since 2014, Israel has been developing Iron 

13 Beam, a laser platform to intercept mortars. In re14 sponse to a growing missile threat, Israel’s Ministry 

15 of Defense has increased investments in directed en16 ergy capabilities in recent years. 

17 (7) In 2017, the Department of Defense issued 

18 a report to Congress on the merits of renewed 

19 United States-Israel cooperation on directed energy, 

20 concluding that, ‘‘The United States should pursue 

21 joint collaboration with Israel on directed energy ca22 pabilities.’’. 

23 (8) In 2018, while offering remarks at the Di24 rected Energy Summit, Undersecretary of Defense 

25 for Research and Engineering Michael Griffin exVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:58 Mar 29, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1795.IH H1795

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1 pressed support for the United States partnering 

2 with allies to develop directed energy technologies. 

3 (9) In 2019, the U.S. Missile Defense Review 

4 highlighted the promise that high-powered laser 

5 technology holds for boost-phase ballistic missile de6 fense. 

7 SEC. 3. UNITED STATES-ISRAEL DIRECTED ENERGY CAPA8 BILITIES COOPERATION. 

9 (a) AUTHORITY.— 

10 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense, 

11 upon request of the Ministry of Defense of Israel 

12 and with the concurrence of the Secretary of State, 

13 is authorized to carry out research, development, 

14 test, and evaluation activities, on a joint basis with 

15 Israel, to establish directed energy capabilities that 

16 address threats to the United States, deployed forces 

17 of the United States, or Israel. Any activities carried 

18 out pursuant to such authority shall be conducted in 

19 a manner that appropriately protects sensitive infor20 mation and the national security interests of the 

21 United States and the national security interests of 

22 Israel. 

23 (2) REPORT.—The activities described in para24 graph (1) may be carried out after the Secretary of 


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1 Defense submits to the appropriate committees of 

2 Congress a report setting forth the following: 

3 (A) A memorandum of agreement between 

4 the United States and Israel regarding sharing 

5 of research and development costs for the capa6 bilities described in paragraph (1), and any 

7 supporting documents. 

8 (B) A certification that the memorandum 

9 of agreement— 

10 (i) requires sharing of costs of 

11 projects, including in-kind support, be12 tween the United States and Israel; 

13 (ii) establishes a framework to nego14 tiate the rights to any intellectual property 

15 developed under the memorandum of 

16 agreement; and 

17 (iii) requires the United States Gov18 ernment to receive semiannual reports on 

19 expenditure of funds, if any, by the Gov20 ernment of Israel, including a description 

21 of what the funds have been used for, 

22 when funds were expended, and an identi23 fication of entities that expended the 

24 funds. 

25 (b) SUPPORT IN CONNECTION WITH ACTIVITIES.— 


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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense is 

2 authorized to provide maintenance and sustainment 

3 support to Israel for the directed energy capabilities 

4 research, development, test, and evaluation activities 

5 authorized in subsection (a)(1). Such authority in6 cludes authority to install equipment necessary to 

7 carry out such research, development, test, and eval8 uation. 

9 (2) REPORT.—The support described in para10 graph (1) may not be provided until 15 days after 

11 the Secretary of Defense submits to the appropriate 

12 committees of Congress a report setting forth a de13 tailed description of the support to be provided. 

14 (3) MATCHING CONTRIBUTION.—The support 

15 described in paragraph (1) may not be provided un16 less the Secretary of Defense certifies to the appro17 priate committees of Congress that the Government 

18 of Israel will contribute to such support— 

19 (A) an amount equal to not less than the 

20 amount of support to be so provided; or 

21 (B) an amount that otherwise meets the 

22 best efforts of Israel, as mutually agreed to by 

23 the United States and Israel. 

24 (c) LEAD AGENCY.—The Secretary of Defense shall 

25 designate an appropriate research and development entity 


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1 of a military department as the lead agency of the Depart2 ment of Defense in carrying out this section. 

3 (d) SEMIANNUAL REPORT.—The Secretary of De4 fense shall submit to the appropriate committees of Con5 gress on a semiannual basis a report that contains a copy 

6 of the most recent semiannual report provided by the Gov7 ernment of Israel to the Department of Defense pursuant 

8 to subsection (a)(2)(B)(iii). 

9 (e) APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES OF CONGRESS DE10 FINED.—In this section, the term ‘‘appropriate commit11 tees of Congress’’ means— 

12 (1) the Committee on Armed Services, the 

13 Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on 

14 Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, the 

15 Committee on Appropriations, and the Select Com16 mittee on Intelligence of the Senate; and 

17 (2) the Committee on Armed Services, the 

18 Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on 

19 Homeland Security, the Committee on Appropria20 tions, and the Permanent Select Committee on Intel21 ligence of the House of Representatives. 

Æ 


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