22 U.S.C. § 8606 (FOREIGN RELATIONS AND INTERCOURSE)
§ 8606. United States-Israel cooperation on energy, water, homeland security, agriculture, and alternative fuel technologies
(a) In general
The President is authorized, subject to existing law—
(1) to undertake activities in cooperation with Israel; and
(2) to provide assistance promoting cooperation in the fields of energy, water, agriculture, and alternative fuel technologies.
(b) Requirements
In carrying out subsection (a), the President is authorized, subject to existing requirements of law and any applicable agreements or understandings between the United States and Israel—
(1) to share and exchange with Israel research, technology, intelligence, information, equipment, and personnel, including through sales, leases, or exchanges in kind, that the President determines will advance the national security interests of the United States and are consistent with the Strategic Dialogue and pertinent provisions of law; and
(2) to enhance scientific cooperation between Israel and the United States.
(c) Cooperative research programs
The Secretary of Homeland Security, acting through the Director of the Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency and with the concurrence of the Secretary of State, is authorized, subject to existing law, to enter into cooperative research programs with Israel to enhance Israel’s capabilities in—
(1) border, maritime, and aviation security;
(2) explosives detection;
(3) emergency services; and
(4) cybersecurity.
(d) Authorization of appropriations
There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $2,000,000 for fiscal year 2021.
(Pub. L. 113–296, § 7, Dec. 19, 2014, 128 Stat. 4077; Pub. L. 114–304, § 2(b), Dec. 16, 2016, 130 Stat. 1520; Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title XII, § 1280A(g), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 3984.)
heading: Editorial Notes
heading: Codification
text: Section was enacted as part of the United States-Israel Strategic Partnership Act of 2014, and not as part of the United States-Israel Enhanced Security Cooperation Act of 2012 which comprises this chapter.
heading: Amendments
text: 2021—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 116–283 added subsec. (d).
2016—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 114–304, § 2(b)(1), (2), struck out “pilot” before “programs” in heading and in introductory provisions.
Subsec. (c)(4). Pub. L. 114–304, § 2(b)(3)–(5), added par. (4).
heading: Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
heading: United States Agency for International Development Memoranda of Understanding To Enhance Cooperation With Israel
text: Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title XII, § 1277, Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 3981, provided that: “The Secretary of State, acting through the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, may enter into memoranda of understanding with Israel to advance common goals on energy, agriculture, food security, democracy, human rights, governance, economic growth, trade, education, environment, global health, water, and sanitation, with a focus on strengthening mutual ties and cooperation with nations throughout the world.”
heading: Cooperation on Directed Energy Capabilities
text: Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title XII, § 1280, Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 3982, provided that:
“(a) Report.—
Not later than March 15, 2021, the Secretary of Defense, with the concurrence of the Secretary of State, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees [Committees on Foreign Relations and Armed Services of the Senate and Committees on Foreign Affairs and Armed Services of the House of Representatives] a report on potential areas for directed energy cooperation.
“(b) Elements.—
The report required by subsection (a) shall include the following:
“(1) A description of any science and technology effort or research, development, test, and evaluation effort associated with directed energy.
“(2) A description of activities or efforts recommended for potential defense cooperation activities associated with directed energy between the United States and Israel in support of development of military capabilities of mutual benefit.
“(3) A description of any obstacle or challenge associated with an effort described under paragraph (2) and recommendations to address such obstacle or challenge.
“(4) A description of any authority or authorization of appropriations required for the execution of efforts described under paragraph (2).
“(c) Form.—
The report required by subsection (a) shall be submitted in unclassified form but may contain a classified annex, as determined necessary by the Secretary of Defense.
“(d) Program Authority.—
If recommended as a result of the report required by subsection (a), the Secretary of Defense, with the concurrence of the Secretary of State, may establish a program to carry out research, development, test, and evaluation activities, on a joint basis with Israel, to promote directed energy capabilities of mutual benefit to both the United States and Israel that address threats to the United States, deployed forces of the United States, and Israel. Any activities carried out under this subsection shall be conducted in a manner that appropriately protects sensitive information, intellectual property, the national security interests of the United States, and the national security interests of Israel. Any such program shall take into consideration the recommendations of the United States-Israel Defense Acquisition Advisory Group.”
heading: United States-Israel Cooperation To Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems
text: Pub. L. 116–92, div. A, title XII, § 1278, Dec. 20, 2019, 133 Stat. 1702, provided that:
“(a) Authority to Establish Capabilities to Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems.—
“(1) In general.—
The Secretary of Defense, upon request of the Ministry of Defense of Israel and in consultation with the Secretary of State and the Director of National Intelligence, is authorized to carry out research, development, test, and evaluation activities, on a joint basis with Israel, to establish capabilities for countering unmanned aerial systems that threaten the United States or Israel. Any activities carried out pursuant to such authority shall be conducted in a manner that appropriately protects sensitive technology and information and the national security interests of the United States and Israel.
“(2) Report.—
The activities described in paragraph (1) and subsection (b) may not be carried out until after the Secretary of Defense submits to the appropriate committees of Congress a report setting forth the following:
“(A) A memorandum of agreement between the United States and Israel regarding sharing of research and development costs for the capabilities described in paragraph (1), and any supporting documents.
“(B) A certification that the memorandum of agreement—
“(i) requires sharing of costs of projects, including in-kind support, between the United States and Israel;
“(ii) establishes a framework to negotiate the rights to any intellectual property developed under the memorandum of agreement; and
“(iii) requires the United States Government to receive semiannual reports on expenditure of funds, if any, by the Government of Israel, including a description of what the funds have been used for, when funds were expended, and an identification of entities that expended the funds.
“(b) Support in Connection With the Program.—
“(1) In general.—
The Secretary of Defense is authorized to provide maintenance and sustainment support to Israel for the research, development, test, and evaluation activities authorized in subsection (a)(1). Such authority includes authority to install equipment necessary to carry out such research, development, test, and evaluation activities.
“(2) Report.—
Support may not be provided under paragraph (1) until 15 days after the Secretary submits to the appropriate committees of Congress a report setting forth a detailed description of the support to be provided.
“(3) Matching contribution.—
“(A) In general.—
Except as provided in subparagraph (B), support may not be provided under this subsection unless the Government of Israel contributes an amount not less than the amount of support to be so provided to the program, project, or activity for which the support is to be so provided in the calendar year in which the support is provided.
“(B) Exception.—
Subject to paragraph (4), the Secretary may use amounts available to the Secretary in excess of the amount contributed by the Government of Israel to provide support under this subsection for costs associated with any unique national requirement identified by the United States with respect to countering unmanned aerial systems.
“(4) Annual limitation on amount.—
The amount of support provided under this subsection in any year may not exceed $25,000,000.
“(5) Use of certain amounts for rdt&e activities in the united states.—
Of the amount provided by the United States in support under paragraph (1), not less than 50 percent of such amount shall be used for research, development, test, and evaluation activities in the United States in connection with such support.
“(c) Lead Agency.—
The Secretary of Defense shall designate an appropriate research and development entity of a military department as the lead agency of the Department of Defense in carrying out this section.
“(d) Semiannual Reports.—
The Secretary of Defense shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress on a semiannual basis a report that contains a copy of the most recent semiannual report provided by the Government of Israel to the Department of Defense pursuant to subsection (a)(2)(B)(iii).
“(e) Appropriate Committees of Congress Defined.—
In this section, the term ‘appropriate committees of Congress’ means—
“(1) the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on Homeland Security, the Committee on Appropriations, and the Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate; and
“(2) the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on Homeland Security, the Committee on Appropriations, and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of Representatives.
“(f) Sunset.—
The authority in this section to carry out activities described in subsection (a), and to provide support described in subsection (b), shall expire on December 31, 2024.”
heading: United States-Israel Anti-Tunnel Cooperation
text: Pub. L. 114–92, div. A, title XII, § 1279, Nov. 25, 2015, 129 Stat. 1079, as amended by Pub. L. 114–328, div. A, title XII, § 1295(a), (b), Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2562; Pub. L. 115–91, div. A, title XII, § 1278(a), Dec. 12, 2017, 131 Stat. 1700; Pub. L. 115–232, div. A, title XII, § 1272(a), Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 2066; Pub. L. 116–92, div. A, title XII, § 1279, Dec. 20, 2019, 133 Stat. 1703, provided that:
“(a) Authority To Establish Anti-tunnel Capabilities Program With Israel.—
“(1) In general.—
The Secretary of Defense, upon request of the Ministry of Defense of Israel and in consultation with the Secretary of State and the Director of National Intelligence, is authorized to carry out research, development, test, and evaluation, on a joint basis with Israel, to establish anti-tunnel capabilities to detect, map, and neutralize underground tunnels that threaten the United States or Israel. Any activities carried out pursuant to such authority shall be conducted in a manner that appropriately protects sensitive information and United States and Israel national security interests.
“(2) Report.—
The activities described in paragraph (1) and subsection (b) may be carried out after the Secretary of Defense submits to the appropriate committees of Congress a report setting forth the following:
“(A) A memorandum of agreement between the United States and Israel regarding sharing of research and development costs for the capabilities described in paragraph (1), and any supporting documents.
“(B) A certification that the memorandum of agreement—
“(i) requires sharing of costs of projects, including in-kind support, between the United States and Israel;
“(ii) establishes a framework to negotiate the rights to any intellectual property developed under the memorandum of agreement; and
“(iii) requires the United States Government to receive semiannual reports on expenditure of funds, if any, by the Government of Israel, including a description of what the funds have been used for, when funds were expended, and an identification of entities that expended the funds.
“(b) Support in Connection With Program.—
“(1) In general.—
The Secretary of Defense is authorized to provide maintenance and sustainment support to Israel for the anti-tunnel capabilities research, development, test, and evaluation activities authorized in subsection (a)(1). Such authority includes authority to install equipment necessary to carry out such research, development, test, and evaluation.
“(2) Report.—
Support may not be provided under paragraph (1) until 15 days after the Secretary submits to the appropriate committees of Congress a report setting forth a detailed description of the support to be provided.
“(3) Matching contribution.—
“(A) In general.—
Except as provided in subparagraph (B), support may not be provided under this subsection unless the Government of Israel contributes an amount not less than the amount of support to be so provided to the program, project, or activity for which the support is to be so provided in the calendar year in which the support is provided.
“(B) Exception.—
Subject to paragraph (4), the Secretary may use amounts available to the Secretary in excess of the amount contributed by the Government of Israel to provide support under this subsection for costs associated with any unique national requirement identified by the United States with respect to anti-tunnel capabilities.
“(4) Annual limitation on amount.—
The amount of support provided under this subsection in any year may not exceed $50,000,000.
“(5) Use of certain amounts for rdt&e activities in the united states.—
Of the amount provided by the United States in support under paragraph (1), not less than 50 percent of such amount shall be used for research, development, test, and evaluation activities in the United States in connection with such support.
“(c) Lead Agency.—
The Secretary of Defense shall designate an appropriate research and development entity of a military department as the lead agency of the Department of Defense in carrying out this section.
“(d) Semiannual Reports.—
The Secretary of Defense shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress on a semiannual basis a report that contains a copy of the most recent semiannual report provided by the Government of Israel to the Department of Defense pursuant to subsection (a)(2)(B)(iii).
“(e) Appropriate Committees of Congress Defined.—
In this section, the term ‘appropriate committees of Congress’ means—
“(1) the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on Homeland Security, the Committee on Appropriations, and the Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate; and
“(2) the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on Homeland Security, the Committee on Appropriations, and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of Representatives.
“(f) Sunset.—
The authority in this section to carry out activities described in subsection (a), and to provide support described in subsection (b), shall expire on December 31, 2024.”
heading: Constructive Regional Energy Cooperation
text: Pub. L. 113–296, § 12(c)(2), Dec. 19, 2014, 128 Stat. 4081, provided that:
“The Secretary of State shall continue the ongoing diplomacy efforts of the Secretary of State in—
“(A) engaging and supporting the energy security of Israel; and
“(B) promoting constructive regional energy cooperation in the Eastern Mediterranean.”