United States-Israel Agriculture Cooperation Improvement and Expansion Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4853 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 4853

 To amend the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching
  Policy Act of 1977 to modify the BARD Fund, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 22, 2026

 Mr. Hoeven (for himself and Mrs. Gillibrand) introduced the following
  bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign
                               Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 To amend the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching
  Policy Act of 1977 to modify the BARD Fund, 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 Agriculture
Cooperation Improvement and Expansion Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that--
            (1) the United States-Israel Binational Agricultural
        Research and Development Fund (referred to in this section as
        the ``BARD Fund'')--
                    (A) was established in 1977; and
                    (B) is a competitive funding program that supports
                collaborative agricultural research in areas of mutual
                interest to the United States and Israel;
            (2) the primary mission of the BARD Fund is to bring
        together United States and Israeli scientists to jointly
        address key agricultural and food production challenges that
        concern both countries;
            (3) since its establishment, the BARD Fund has approved
        more than 1,300 research projects, with a total investment of
        $315,000,000 that has gained $16 for every $1 spent; and
            (4) research funded by the BARD Fund has led to new
        agricultural practices, commercial engagements, patents, and
        breeding rights licenses, which serve as a growth engine to the
        United States and Israeli economies.

SEC. 3. BARD FUND.

    Section 1458(e) of the National Agricultural Research, Extension,
and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3291(e)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``entered into'' and
        inserting ``as entered into in 1977'';
            (2) in paragraph (2)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``and'' at the
                end;
                    (B) in subparagraph (B), by striking the period at
                the end and inserting ``; and''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(C) support mid-stage research to advance
                cooperative agricultural research projects of mutual
                interest to the United States and Israel.''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(3) Bard fund accelerator.--The BARD Fund shall establish
        an accelerator program that supports mid-stage research, as
        determined by the technology readiness level, in priority areas
        established by the BARD Fund, and--
                    ``(A) fast-tracks cooperative research between
                scientists participating in BARD Fund activities;
                    ``(B) accelerates the successful development of
                agricultural research through resources and services
                developed or orchestrated by the BARD Fund;
                    ``(C) provides management guidance, technical
                assistance, and consulting to scientists participating
                in activities described in paragraph (2); or
                    ``(D) advances cooperative agricultural research
                projects of mutual interest to the United States and
                Israel.
            ``(4) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized
        to be appropriated to the BARD Fund to carry out activities
        under this subsection $8,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027
        through 2031.''.
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