United States-Israel Cybersecurity Cooperation Enhancement Act of 2021
Bill: H.R.2659 | Sponsor: Rep. Langevin, James R. (D-RI)
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
United States-Israel Cybersecurity Cooperation Enhancement Act of 2021
This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security to establish a grant program that contributes to the homeland security capabilities of both the United States and Israel by supporting cybersecurity research and development as well as the demonstration and commercialization of cybersecurity technology.
Grant applicants must address a requirement in the area of cybersecurity research or cybersecurity technology and be comprised of a joint venture between a U.S. entity and an Israeli entity (or the governments of each country).

To establish a grant program at the Department of Homeland Security to 
promote cooperative research and development between the United States 
                      and Israel on cybersecurity.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``United States-Israel Cybersecurity 
Cooperation Enhancement Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. UNITED STATES-ISRAEL CYBERSECURITY COOPERATION.

    (a) Grant Program.--
            (1) Establishment.--The Secretary, in accordance with the 
        agreement entitled the ``Agreement between the Government of 
        the United States of America and the Government of the State of 
        Israel on Cooperation in Science and Technology for Homeland 
        Security Matters'', dated May 29, 2008 (or successor 
        agreement), and the requirements specified in paragraph (2), 
        shall establish a grant program at the Department to support--
                    (A) cybersecurity research and development; and
                    (B) demonstration and commercialization of 
                cybersecurity technology.
            (2) Requirements.--
                    (A) Applicability.--Notwithstanding any other 
                provision of law, in carrying out a research, 
                development, demonstration, or commercial application 
                program or activity that is authorized under this 
                section, the Secretary shall require cost sharing in 
                accordance with this paragraph.
                    (B) Research and development.--
                            (i) In general.--Except as provided in 
                        clause (ii), the Secretary shall require not 
                        less than 50 percent of the cost of a research, 
                        development, demonstration, or commercial 
                        application program or activity described in 
                        subparagraph (A) to be provided by a non-
                        Federal source.
                            (ii) Reduction.--The Secretary may reduce 
                        or eliminate, on a case-by-case basis, the 
                        percentage requirement specified in clause (i) 
                        if the Secretary determines that such reduction 
                        or elimination is necessary and appropriate.
                    (C) Merit review.--In carrying out a research, 
                development, demonstration, or commercial application 
                program or activity that is authorized under this 
                section, awards shall be made only after an impartial 
                review of the scientific and technical merit of the 
                proposals for such awards has been carried out by or 
                for the Department.
                    (D) Review processes.--In carrying out a review 
                under subparagraph (C), the Secretary may use merit 
                review processes developed under section 302(14) of the 
                Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 182(14)).
            (3) Eligible applicants.--An applicant shall be eligible to 
        receive a grant under this subsection if the project of such 
        applicant--
                    (A) addresses a requirement in the area of 
                cybersecurity research or cybersecurity technology, as 
                determined by the Secretary; and
                    (B) is a joint venture between--
                            (i)(I) a for-profit business entity, 
                        academic institution, National Laboratory (as 
                        such term is defined in section 2 of the Energy 
                        Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 15801)), or 
                        nonprofit entity in the United States; and
                            (II) a for-profit business entity, academic 
                        institution, or nonprofit entity in Israel; or
                            (ii)(I) the Federal Government; and
                            (II) the Government of Israel.
            (4) Applications.--To be eligible to receive a grant under 
        this subsection, an applicant shall submit to the Secretary an 
        application for such grant in accordance with procedures 
        established by the Secretary, in consultation with the advisory 
        board established under paragraph (5).
            (5) Advisory board.--
                    (A) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish 
                an advisory board to--
                            (i) monitor the method by which grants are 
                        awarded under this subsection; and
                            (ii) provide to the Secretary periodic 
                        performance reviews of actions taken to carry 
                        out this subsection.
                    (B) Composition.--The advisory board established 
                under subparagraph (A) shall be composed of three 
                members, to be appointed by the Secretary, of whom--
                            (i) one shall be a representative of the 
                        Federal Government;
                            (ii) one shall be selected from a list of 
                        nominees provided by the United States-Israel 
                        Binational Science Foundation; and
                            (iii) one shall be selected from a list of 
                        nominees provided by the United States-Israel 
                        Binational Industrial Research and Development 
                        Foundation.
            (6) Contributed funds.--Notwithstanding any other provision 
        of law, the Secretary may accept or retain funds contributed by 
        any person, government entity, or organization for purposes of 
        carrying out this subsection. Such funds shall be available, 
        subject to appropriation, without fiscal year limitation.
            (7) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
        completion of a project for which a grant is provided under 
        this subsection, the grant recipient shall submit to the 
        Secretary a report that contains--
                    (A) a description of how the grant funds were used 
                by the recipient; and
                    (B) an evaluation of the level of success of each 
                project funded by the grant.
            (8) Classification.--Grants shall be awarded under this 
        subsection only for projects that are considered to be 
        unclassified by both the United States and Israel.
    (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section not less than $6,000,000 for 
each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026.
    (c) Definitions.--In this section--
            (1) the term ``cybersecurity research'' means research, 
        including social science research, into ways to identify, 
        protect against, detect, respond to, and recover from 
        cybersecurity threats;
            (2) the term ``cybersecurity technology'' means technology 
        intended to identify, protect against, detect, respond to, and 
        recover from cybersecurity threats;
            (3) the term ``cybersecurity threat'' has the meaning given 
        such term in section 102 of the Cybersecurity Information 
        Sharing Act of 2015 (6 U.S.C. 1501; enacted as title I of the 
        Cybersecurity Act of 2015 (division N of the Consolidated 
        Appropriations Act, 2016 (Public Law 114-113)));
            (4) the term ``Department'' means the Department of 
        Homeland Security; and
            (5) the term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of Homeland 
        Security.
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