I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2659 
To authorized the establishment of a program for cooperative research and 
development in agriculture with the Government of Israel, and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 25, 2017 
Mr. SOTO (for himself, Mr. YOHO, Mr. DEUTCH, Mr. GAETZ, Mr. CRIST, Mr. 
HASTINGS, Mr. VARGAS, Ms. FRANKEL of Florida, and Ms. WASSERMAN 
SCHULTZ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committees on Foreign Af-
fairs, and Appropriations, for a period to be subsequently determined by 
the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall with-
in the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To authorized the establishment of a program for cooperative 
research and development in agriculture with the Govern-
ment of Israel, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘United States-Israel 
Agriculture Strategic Partnership Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
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(1) The Agreement to establish the United 
States-Israel Binational Agricultural Research and 
Development (BARD) Fund, signed on October 25, 
1977, between the United States Government and 
the Government of Israel ‘‘to promote and support 
agricultural research and development activities 
which are of mutual benefits to the United States 
and Israel’’. 
(2) Since its founding, the BARD Fund has 
cultivated strategic partnerships between United 
States and Israeli scientists and has been a bench-
mark for the establishment of cooperative agree-
ments. 
(3) BARD Fund-sponsored research projects 
have contributed billions of dollars to both United 
States and Israeli economies, as determined by inde-
pendent economic surveys. As the major platform for 
United States-Israel agricultural research collabora-
tion, the BARD Fund has funded more than 1,300 
bi-national projects, awarded over $300 million for 
research and development, and supported other pro-
grams such as more than 250 postdoctoral fellows 
and 50 scientific workshops. 
(4) BARD Fund-sponsored research projects 
have led to innovative developments, new tech-
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nologies, and renewed focus in drip irrigation, pes-
ticides, fish farming, livestock, poultry, disease con-
trol, and farm equipment. 
(5) The BARD Fund has been successful in re-
search collaboration between United States and 
Israel without fraud, waste, or abuse for 40 years. 
(6) The Memorandum of Understanding Be-
tween the U.S. National Institute of Food and Agri-
culture and the U.S. Israel Binational Agricultural 
Research and Development Fund To Promote Sci-
entific Collaboration among U.S. and Israeli Sci-
entists and Engineers, signed on November 22, 
2013, promotes collaboration between the United 
States and Israel. The 2013 Memorandum of Under-
standing was intended to provide a framework 
whereby Israeli scientists and engineers could receive 
funding from the BARD Fund and United States 
scientists and engineers could receive funding from 
the National Institute for Food and Agriculture. 
(7) It would be in the interest of the United 
States to expand the 2013 Memorandum of Under-
standing to include cooperation with private entities 
and to statutorily authorize the BARD Fund to en-
hance prospects for its long-term funding. 
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(8) In 2014, Congress enacted legislation de-
claring that Israel is a major strategic partner of the 
United States and authorized the President to pro-
mote cooperation with Israel in multiple fields, in-
cluding agriculture. 
(9) Joint cooperation can help solve specific 
challenges, including food safety, food security, food 
quality, and post-harvest issues, as well as maximize 
production with limited resources, environmental 
changes, water scarcity, and water management. 
SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF UNITED STATES-ISRAEL EX-
PANDED-BINATIONAL 
AGRICULTURAL 
RE-
SEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT FUND. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Agriculture, in 
coordination with the Secretary of State and the Adminis-
trator of the United States Agency for International De-
velopment, is authorized to establish a program for coop-
erative research and development in agriculture with the 
Government of Israel. 
(b) EXISTING AUTHORITY.—The Secretary of Agri-
culture shall establish and carry out the program author-
ized under subsection (a) in a manner consistent with the 
Secretary’s authority under section 1458 of the Food and 
Agriculture Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3291). 
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(c) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the program author-
ized under subsection (a) shall be to establish a framework 
to enhance the collaboration between the United States 
and Israel in research and development activities relating 
to agriculture, including between public and private enti-
ties. 
(d) ACTIVITIES SUPPORTED.—Activities that may be 
supported under the program authorized under subsection 
(a) include— 
(1) activities authorized under the Agreement 
to establish the United States-Israel Binational Ag-
ricultural Research and Development (BARD) 
Fund; and 
(2) activities authorized under section 1458 of 
the Food and Agriculture Act of 1977. 
(e) NONGOVERNMENTAL AND PRIVATE ENTITIES.— 
Projects and activities under the program authorized 
under subsection (a) may be carried out by nongovern-
mental and private entities, including through collabora-
tion with private universities, research institutions, and 
corporations if such projects and activities support the ob-
jectives of the Agreement to establish the United States- 
Israel Binational Agricultural Research and Development 
(BARD) Fund. 
(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary of Agriculture such 
sums as may be necessary to carry out this section. 
(2) FUND; 
AVAILABILITY.—Amounts appro-
priated pursuant to the authorization of appropria-
tions under paragraph (1)— 
(A) shall be known as the ‘‘United States- 
Israel Expanded-Binational Agricultural Re-
search and Development Fund’’ or ‘‘E–BARD 
Fund’’; and 
(B) are authorized to remain available 
until expended. 
(3) TRANSFER AUTHORITY.—The Secretary of 
Agriculture may transfer amounts appropriated pur-
suant to the authorization of appropriations under 
paragraph (1) to the heads of other relevant Federal 
departments and agencies, including the Department 
of State and the United States Agency for Inter-
national Development, for purposes of carrying out 
the program authorized under subsection (a). 
(g) BINATIONAL TASK FORCE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of State, in 
coordination with the Secretary of Agriculture, is au-
thorized to seek to establish a binational task force 
to provide guidance and oversight with respect to the 
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program authorized under subsection (a), including 
to address matters described in paragraph (2). 
(2) MATTERS
DESCRIBED.—The matters de-
scribed in this paragraph are the following: 
(A) Identifying funding priorities and inno-
vative developments in agriculture in evaluating 
projects under the program. 
(B) 
Proposing 
research 
competitions 
among universities and private entities in se-
lecting projects under the program. 
(3) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of 
Congress that the task force established under para-
graph (1) should be comprised of the following: 
(A) The Secretary of Agriculture. 
(B) The Israeli Minister for Agriculture 
and Rural Development. 
(C) Members of the board of directors of 
the BARD Fund. 
(D) The administrators of the Agriculture 
Research Service, Economic Research Service, 
and the National Institute of Food and Agri-
culture. 
(E) The chief scientist of the Israeli Min-
istry of Agriculture and the director of the Ag-
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ricultural Research Organization—Volcani Cen-
ter. 
Æ 
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