I 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4472 

To provide for the establishment of a grant program to support United 

States-Israeli cooperation for neuroscience-related research, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 10, 2014 

Mr. FATTAH introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Energy and Commerce 

A BILL 

To provide for the establishment of a grant program to 

support United States-Israeli cooperation for neuroscience-related research, 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 ‘‘US–Israel Global Neu5 roscience Partnership Act of 2014’’. 

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 neuroscience-re3 lated research and neurotechnology; 

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; and 

12 (B) the United States-Israel Binational In13 dustrial Research and Development Founda14 tion; 

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) in December 2011 the Office of Science and 

21 Technology Policy was directed by Congress to es22 tablish an Interagency Working Group on Neuro23 science which was chartered on June 20, 2012, is 

24 housed at the White House, and is currently con25 vening representatives across the Federal GovernVerDate Mar 15 2010 00:22 Apr 16, 2014 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4472.IH H4472

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1 ment to make recommendations about the future of 

2 neuroscience research; 

3 (6) Israeli scientists and engineers are at the 

4 forefront of research and development in the field of 

5 neuroscience; 

6 (7) Israel Brain Technologies is a nonprofit or7 ganization whose mission is to turn Israel into a 

8 global brain technology and research leader by— 

9 (A) supporting applied brain research; 

10 (B) accelerating brain technology develop11 ment; 

12 (C) creating and fostering a community 

13 around neurotechnology; and 

14 (D) attracting key stakeholders to partner 

15 and support brain technology in Israel; and 

16 (8) enhanced cooperation between the United 

17 States and Israel for the purpose of research and de18 velopment of neuroscience would be in the national 

19 interests of both countries. 

20 SEC. 3. GRANTS FOR NEUROSCIENCE-RELATED RESEARCH. 

21 (a) AUTHORITY.—The Secretary, acting through the 

22 Director of the National Institutes of Health, in consulta23 tion with the BIRD or BSF, shall award grants to eligible 

24 entities for neuroscience-related research. 

25 (b) APPLICATION.— 


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1 (1) SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS.—To receive 

2 a grant under this section, an eligible entity shall 

3 submit an application to the Secretary containing 

4 such information and assurances as the Secretary, in 

5 consultation with the BIRD or BSF, may require. 

6 (2) SELECTION OF ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—The 

7 Secretary, in consultation with the Directors of the 

8 BIRD and BSF, may review any application sub9 mitted by any eligible entity and select any eligible 

10 entity meeting criteria established by the Secretary, 

11 in consultation with the Advisory Board, for a grant 

12 under this section. 

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

14 awarded for a fiscal year under this section shall be deter15 mined by the Secretary, in consultation with the BIRD 

16 or BSF. 

17 (d) RECOUPMENT.— 

18 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 

19 after the date of enactment of this Act, the Sec20 retary shall establish procedures and criteria for 

21 recoupment in connection with any eligible project 

22 carried out by an eligible entity that receives a grant 

23 under this section, which has led to the development 

24 of a product or process which is marketed or used. 

25 (2) AMOUNT REQUIRED.— 


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1 (A) Except as provided in subparagraph 

2 (B), such recoupment shall be required as a 

3 condition for award and be proportional to the 

4 Federal share of the costs of such project, and 

5 shall be derived from the proceeds of royalties 

6 or licensing fees received in connection with 

7 such product or process. 

8 (B) In the case where a product or process 

9 is used by the recipient of a grant under this 

10 section for the production and sale of its own 

11 products or processes, the recoupment shall 

12 consist of a payment equivalent to the payment 

13 which would be made under subparagraph (A). 

14 (3) WAIVER.—The Secretary may at any time 

15 waive or defer all or some of the recoupment re16 quirements of this subsection as necessary, depend17 ing on— 

18 (A) the commercial competitiveness of the 

19 entity or entities developing or using the prod20 uct or process; 

21 (B) the profitability of the project; and 

22 (C) the commercial viability of the product 

23 or process utilized. 


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1 (e) PRIVATE FUNDS.—The Secretary may accept 

2 contributions of funds from private sources to carry out 

3 this Act. 

4 (f) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after receiving 

5 a grant under this section, each recipient shall submit a 

6 report to the Secretary— 

7 (1) documenting how the recipient used the 

8 grant funds; and 

9 (2) evaluating the level of success of each 

10 project funded by the grant. 

11 SEC. 4. INTERNATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE-RELATED RE12 SEARCH ADVISORY BOARD. 

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

14 National Institutes of Health an International Neuro15 science-Related Research Advisory Board. 

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

17 Secretary on— 

18 (1) criteria for the recipients of grants awarded 

19 under section 3(a); 

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

21 awarded to all grantees selected by the Secretary, in 

22 consultation with the BIRD; and 

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

24 awarded to all grantees selected by the Secretary, in 

25 consultation with the BSF, for each fiscal year. 


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1 (c) MEMBERSHIP.— 

2 (1) COMPOSITION.—The Advisory Board shall 

3 be composed of— 

4 (A) 1 member appointed by the Director of 

5 the National Science Foundation; 

6 (B) 1 member appointed by the Director of 

7 the National Institutes of Health; 

8 (C) 1 member appointed by the Director of 

9 the National Institute of Standards and Tech10 nology; and 

11 (D) in addition to the member appointed 

12 under subparagraph (B), 3 members who shall 

13 be Israeli citizens, appointed by the Director of 

14 the National Institutes of Health after con15 sultation with appropriate officials in the Israeli 

16 Government. 

17 (2) DEADLINE FOR APPOINTMENTS.—The ini18 tial appointments under paragraph (1) shall be 

19 made not later than 60 days after the date of enact20 ment of this Act. 

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

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

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

24 Board shall be filled in the manner in which the 

25 original appointment was made. 


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1 (5) BASIC PAY.— 

2 (A) COMPENSATION.—A member of the 

3 Advisory Board shall serve without pay. 

4 (B) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—Each member of 

5 the Advisory Board shall receive travel ex6 penses, including per diem in lieu of subsist7 ence, in accordance with applicable provisions of 

8 subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United 

9 States Code. 

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

11 Board shall constitute a quorum. 

12 (7) CHAIRPERSON.—The Chairperson of the 

13 Advisory Board shall be designated by the Director 

14 of the National Institutes of Health from among the 

15 members appointed by the Director at the time of 

16 the appointment. 

17 (8) MEETINGS.—The Advisory Board shall 

18 meet at least once annually at the call of the Chair19 person. 

20 (d) TERMINATION.—Section 14(a)(2)(B) of the Fed21 eral Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not 

22 apply to the Advisory Board. 

23 SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS. 

24 In this Act: 


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

2 Board’’ means the International Neuroscience-Re3 lated Research Advisory Board established by sec4 tion 4(a). 

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

6 Israel-United States Binational Industrial Research 

7 and Development Foundation. 

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

9 States-Israel Binational Science Foundation. 

10 (4) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti11 ty’’ means a joint venture comprised of both Israeli 

12 and United States private business entities or a joint 

13 venture comprised of both Israeli academic persons 

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

15 academic persons, that— 

16 (A) carries out an eligible project; and 

17 (B) is selected by the Secretary, in con18 sultation with the BIRD or BSF, using the cri19 teria established by the Secretary, in consulta20 tion with the Advisory Board. 

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

22 project’’ means a project to encourage cooperation 

23 between the United States and Israel on neuro24 science-related research. 


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

2 the Secretary of Health and Human Services. 

3 SEC. 6. TERMINATION. 

4 The grant program authorized under section 3 and 

5 the Advisory Board shall terminate upon the expiration 

6 of the 7-year period which begins on the date of the enact7 ment of this Act. 

8 SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

9 The Secretary is authorized to expend not more than 

10 $20,000,000 to carry out this Act for each of fiscal years 

11 2014 through 2020. 

Æ 


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