United States-Israel FUTURES Act of 2026

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7540 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7540

To enhance bilateral defense cooperation between the United States and
                    Israel, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 12, 2026

  Mr. Jackson of Texas (for himself and Mr. Davis of North Carolina)
 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 enhance bilateral defense cooperation between the United States and
                    Israel, and for other purposes.

    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 Framework for
Upgraded Technologies, Unified Research, and Enhanced Security Act of
2026'' or the ``United States-Israel FUTURES Act of 2026''.

SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) the United States and Israel--
                    (A) are bound by shared democratic values,
                strategic interests, and deep cultural and
                technological ties; and
                    (B) can benefit from further joint innovation and
                rapid technology deployment in facing common and
                evolving security challenges;
            (2) Israel is a strategic and capable ally of the United
        States that advances United States strategic interests,
        strengthens United States military capabilities, and bolsters
        the United States economy;
            (3) as a global leader and innovator in the development of
        defense technology, Israel is a close foreign defense partner
        of the United States;
            (4) on September 14, 2016, the United States and Israel
        signed a 10-year memorandum of understanding reaffirming the
        importance of continuing annual United States military
        assistance to Israel and cooperative missile defense programs
        in a way that enhances the security and bilateral relationship
        between the two countries;
            (5) the United States-Israel defense partnership, through
        sustained joint research and development, has yielded critical
        advances in both countries' national security capabilities in
        areas such as missile defense, directed energy, counter drone,
        anti-tunneling, counterterrorism, and emerging technologies;
            (6) to maintain Israel's qualitative military edge while
        deterring adversaries and ensuring mutual security, the United
        States and Israel must expand cooperation in emerging domains;
        and
            (7) to grow American technological supremacy, the United
        States must leverage the unique capabilities offered by each
        country and more rapidly integrate jointly developed and
        Israeli-origin defense technologies into United States military
        systems, programs of record, and the defense industrial base.

SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE UNITED STATES-ISRAEL DEFENSE TECHNOLOGY
              COOPERATION INITIATIVE.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Defense, with the concurrence
of the Minister of Defense of Israel, shall establish a cooperative
initiative, to be known as the ``United States-Israel Defense
Technology Cooperation Initiative'', to expand and accelerate bilateral
defense technology research, development, testing, evaluation,
integration, and industrial cooperation by--
            (1) identifying jointly developed or Israeli-origin
        technologies with operational utility for integration into
        United States systems and programs of record;
            (2) conducting collaborative research initiatives involving
        government, private sector, and academic institutions in the
        United States and Israel, in a manner that protects sensitive
        technology and information and the national security interests
        of the United States and Israel;
            (3) facilitating the transition of technologies from
        research and development into procurement and acquisition
        pathways;
            (4) establishing frameworks for joint ventures, licensing
        agreements, and United States-based co-production or
        manufacturing partnerships with Israeli industry;
            (5) coordinating with relevant Department of Defense
        components, including the Irregular Warfare Technical Support
        Directorate, capability development and innovation divisions,
        the Defense Innovation Unit, the United States-Israel
        Operations Technology Working Group, the Defense Advanced
        Research Projects Agency, the Missile Defense Agency and United
        States Space Command, and the military services, to align
        efforts and avoid duplication; and
            (6) promoting joint training exercises and information-
        sharing mechanisms to enhance operational readiness to deploy
        jointly developed technologies.
    (b) Initiative Domains.--The Initiative shall be carried out
through cooperative efforts in domains such as the following:
            (1) Counter-Unmanned Systems including aerial, maritime,
        and ground platforms.
            (2) Anti-tunneling and subterranean threats.
            (3) Missile and air defense technologies, including Golden
        Dome for America.
            (4) Artificial intelligence, quantum, machine learning, and
        autonomous systems.
            (5) Directed energy and advanced sensing.
            (6) Cyber defense, electronic warfare, and digital
        resilience.
            (7) Biotechnology, biomanufacturing, and medical defense.
            (8) Network integration, data fusion, and contested
        logistics.
            (9) Defense industrial base cooperation, manufacturing, and
        co-production.
            (10) Other emerging technologies as jointly agreed by the
        United States and Israel.
    (c) Activities in Coordination With Other Federal Departments and
Agencies.--The Secretary of Defense shall coordinate activities under
the Initiative with the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Commerce,
and the heads of other relevant Federal departments and agencies, to
ensure consistency with existing laws and regulations.

SEC. 4. REPORTING.

    (a) Interim Progress Update.--Not later than 180 days after the
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall provide
to the congressional defense committees an interim briefing or written
update describing--
            (1) steps taken to stand up the initiative;
            (2) early coordination with Israeli counterparts;
            (3) initial technology areas identified for accelerated
        cooperation and technologies with operational utility for
        integration into United States systems and programs of record;
            (4) Department of Defense components designated to lead
        implementation; and
            (5) any early transition, prototyping, or integration
        activities initiated during the period covered by the update.
    (b) Annual Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of
Defense shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report
on implementation of the program established under this section. Each
such report shall include--
            (1) a description of activities conducted under the
        program;
            (2) an assessment of progress made in advancing shared
        national security interests;
            (3) an assessment of the program's collaboration with other
        relevant Federal programs, including the United States-Israel
        operations-technology working group and United States-Israel
        cooperative programs run by the capability development and
        innovation division and the irregular warfare technical support
        directorate;
            (4) a description of technologies transitioned into United
        States acquisition programs or fielded systems;
            (5) a description of partnerships established with United
        States and Israeli industry; and
            (6) recommendations for future priorities and assessment of
        resource needs, including further authorities necessary to
        promote the long-term integration of joint capabilities between
        the United States and Israel.
    (c) Form.--Each report required under subsection (b) shall be
submitted in unclassified form but may include a classified annex.
    (d) Public Transparency.--The Secretary of Defense shall make
available on a publicly accessible website of the Department of Defense
periodic, unclassified updates, to the maximum extent practicable, on
activities conducted under the Initiative, including a description of
how these activities contribute to American technological and military
supremacy. Such updates shall be made in a manner that ensures that
classified information or other information that would compromise
operational security, export controls, or sensitive technology are not
released.
    (e) Congressional Defense Committees Defined.--In this Act, the
term ``congressional defense committees'' means the Committees on
Appropriations and Armed Services of the House of Representatives and
of the Senate.

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There is authorized to be appropriated $150,000,000 for each of
fiscal years 2027 through 2029 to carry out this Act.
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