[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 838 Reported in Senate (RS)]






                                                       Calendar No. 374
110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 838

                          [Report No. 110-176]

To authorize funding for eligible joint ventures between United States 
     and Israeli businesses and academic persons, to establish the 
      International Energy Advisory Board, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 12, 2007

 Mr. Smith (for himself, Mr. Bingaman, Ms. Landrieu, Mr. Menendez, Ms. 
    Collins, Mr. Conrad, Mr. Casey, Mr. Specter, and Ms. Cantwell) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
               Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

                           September 17, 2007

  Reported by Mr. Bingaman, with an amendment and an amendment to the 
                                 title
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To authorize funding for eligible joint ventures between United States 
     and Israeli businesses and academic persons, to establish the 
      International Energy Advisory Board, and for other purposes.

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

<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    This Act may be cited as the ``United States-Israel Energy 
Cooperation Act''.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 2. FINDINGS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    Congress finds that--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) it is in the highest national security 
        interests of the United States to develop alternative renewable 
        energy sources;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) the State of Israel is a steadfast ally of the 
        United States;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) the special relationship between the United 
        States and Israel is manifested in a variety of cooperative 
        scientific research and development programs, such as--
        </DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) the United States-Israel Binational 
                Science Foundation (BSF); and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) the United States-Israel Binational 
                Industrial Research and Development Foundation 
                (BIRD);</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) those programs have made possible many 
        scientific, technological, and commercial breakthroughs in the 
        fields of life sciences, medicine, bioengineering, agriculture, 
        biotechnology, communications, and others;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) on February 1, 1996, the Secretary of Energy 
        and the Israeli Minister of Energy and Infrastructure signed an 
        agreement to establish a framework for collaboration between 
        the United States and Israel in energy research and development 
        activities;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (6) Israeli scientists and engineers are at the 
        forefront of research and development in the field of 
        alternative renewable energy sources; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (7) enhanced cooperation between the United States 
        and Israel for the purpose of research and development of 
        alternative renewable energy sources would be in the national 
        interests of both countries.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 3. GRANT PROGRAM.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) Authority.--Pursuant to the responsibilities described 
in section 102(10), (14), and (17) of the Department of Energy 
Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7112(10), (14), and (17)) and section 
103(9) of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5813(9)), 
the Secretary, in consultation with the BIRD or BSF, shall award grants 
to eligible entities.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Application.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) Submission of applications.--To receive a 
        grant under this section, an eligible entity shall submit an 
        application to the Secretary containing such information and 
        assurances as the Secretary, in consultation with the BIRD or 
        BSF, may require.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Selection of eligible entities.--The 
        Secretary, in consultation with the Directors of the BIRD and 
        BSF, may review any application submitted by any eligible 
        entity and select any eligible entity meeting criteria 
        established by the Secretary, in consultation with the Advisory 
        Board, for a grant under this section.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (c) Amount of Grant.--The amount of each grant awarded for 
a fiscal year under this section shall be determined by the Secretary, 
in consultation with the BIRD or BSF.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (d) Private Funds.--The Secretary may accept contributions 
of funds from private sources to carry out this Act.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (e) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.--The 
Secretary shall carry out this section through the existing programs at 
the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (f) Research Administration.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) In general.--The requirements of sections 988 
        and 989 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16352 and 
        16353) shall apply to any grant made under this 
        section.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Repayment.--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) In general.--Any funds repaid to the 
                BIRD by a grantee for a grant made under this section 
                shall be--</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (i) transferred to the 
                        Secretary;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (ii) deposited by the Secretary 
                        into the Energy Research and Development 
                        Activities Fund established in subparagraph 
                        (B); and</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (iii) available to the Secretary 
                        for use for alternative renewable energy 
                        research and development activities.</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) Revolving fund.--There is established 
                in the Treasury of the United States a revolving fund 
                known as the Energy Research and Development Activities 
                Fund. Any amounts deposited in the Fund pursuant to 
                clause (ii) of subparagraph (A) shall be available to 
                the Secretary, without fiscal year limitation or 
                further appropriation, for the purpose described in 
                clause (iii) of such subparagraph.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (g) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the completion 
of work supported by a grant under this section, each recipient shall 
submit a report to the Secretary--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) documenting how the recipient used the grant 
        funds; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) evaluating the level of success of each 
        project funded by the grant.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 4. INTERNATIONAL ENERGY ADVISORY BOARD.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) Establishment.--There is established in the Department 
of Energy an International Energy Advisory Board.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Duties.--The Advisory Board shall advise the Secretary 
on--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) criteria for the recipients of grants awarded 
        under section 3(a);</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) the total amount of grant money to be awarded 
        to all grantees selected by the Secretary, in consultation with 
        the BIRD; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) the total amount of grant money to be awarded 
        to all grantees selected by the Secretary, in consultation with 
        the BSF, for each fiscal year.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (c) Membership.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) Composition.--The Advisory Board shall be 
        composed of--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) 1 member appointed by the Secretary of 
                Commerce;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) 2 members appointed by the Secretary 
                of Energy; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) 2 members who shall be Israeli 
                citizens, appointed by the Secretary of Energy after 
                consultation with appropriate officials in the Israeli 
                Government.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Deadline for appointments.--The initial 
        appointments under paragraph (1) shall be made not later than 
        60 days after the date of enactment of this Act.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) Term.--Each member of the Advisory Board shall 
        be appointed for a term of 4 years.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) Vacancies.--A vacancy on the Advisory Board 
        shall be filled in the manner in which the original appointment 
        was made.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) Basic pay.--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) Compensation.--A member of the 
                Advisory Board shall serve without pay.</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) Travel expenses.--Each member of the 
                Advisory Board shall receive travel expenses, including 
                per diem in lieu of subsistence, in accordance with 
                applicable provisions of subchapter I of chapter 57 of 
                title 5, United States Code.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (6) Quorum.--Three members of the Advisory Board 
        shall constitute a quorum.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (7) Chairperson.--The Chairperson of the Advisory 
        Board shall be designated by the Secretary of Energy at the 
        time of the appointment.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (8) Meetings.--The Advisory Board shall meet at 
        least once annually at the call of the Chairperson.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (d) Termination.--Section 14(a)(2)(B) of the Federal 
Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the Advisory 
Board.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    In this Act:</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) Advisory board.--The term ``Advisory Board'' 
        means the International Energy Advisory Board established by 
        section 4(a).</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) BIRD.--The term ``BIRD'' means the Israel-
        United States Binational Industrial Research and Development 
        Foundation.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) BSF.--The term ``BSF'' means the United 
        States-Israel Binational Science Foundation.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' 
        means a joint venture comprised of both Israeli and United 
        States private business entities or a joint venture comprised 
        of both Israeli academic persons (who reside and work in 
        Israel) and United States academic persons, that--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) carries out an eligible project; 
                and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) is selected by the Secretary, in 
                consultation with the BIRD or BSF, using the criteria 
                established by the Secretary, in consultation with the 
                Advisory Board.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) Eligible project.--The term ``eligible 
        project'' means a project to encourage cooperation between the 
        United States and Israel on research, development, or 
        commercialization of alternative energy, improved energy 
        efficiency, or renewable energy sources.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (6) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the 
        Secretary of Energy, acting through the Assistant Secretary of 
        Energy for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 6. TERMINATION.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    The grant program authorized under section 3 and the 
Advisory Board shall terminate upon the expiration of the 7-year period 
which begins on the date of the enactment of this Act.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    The Secretary is authorized to expend not more than 
$20,000,000 to carry out this Act for each of fiscal years 2008 through 
2014 from funds previously authorized to the Office of Energy 
Efficiency and Renewable Energy.</DELETED>

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``United States-Israel Energy 
Cooperation Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that--
            (1) it is in the highest national security interests of the 
        United States to develop renewable energy sources;
            (2) the State of Israel is a steadfast ally of the United 
        States;
            (3) the special relationship between the United States and 
        Israel is manifested in a variety of cooperative scientific 
        research and development programs, such as--
                    (A) the United States-Israel Binational Science 
                Foundation; and
                    (B) the United States-Israel Binational Industrial 
                Research and Development Foundation;
            (4) those programs have made possible many scientific, 
        technological, and commercial breakthroughs in the fields of 
        life sciences, medicine, bioengineering, agriculture, 
        biotechnology, communications, and others;
            (5) on February 1, 1996, the Secretary of Energy and the 
        Israeli Minister of Energy and Infrastructure signed an 
        agreement to establish a framework for collaboration between 
        the United States and Israel in energy research and development 
        activities;
            (6) Israeli scientists and engineers are at the forefront 
        of research and development in the field of renewable energy 
        sources; and
            (7) enhanced cooperation between the United States and 
        Israel for the purpose of research and development of renewable 
        energy sources would be in the national interests of both 
        countries.

SEC. 3. GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) Establishment.--In implementing the agreement entitled the 
``Agreement between the Department of Energy of the United States of 
America and the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure of Israel 
Concerning Energy Cooperation'', dated February 1, 1996, the Secretary 
of Energy (referred to in this Act as the ``Secretary'') shall 
establish a grant program in accordance with the requirements of 
sections 988 and 989 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16352, 
16353) to support research, development, and commercialization of 
renewable energy or energy efficiency.
    (b) Types of Energy.--In carrying out subsection (a), the Secretary 
may make grants to promote--
            (1) solar energy;
            (2) biomass energy;
            (3) energy efficiency;
            (4) wind energy;
            (5) geothermal energy;
            (6) wave and tidal energy; and
            (7) advanced battery technology.
    (c) Eligible Applicants.--An applicant shall be eligible to receive 
a grant under this section if the project of the applicant--
            (1) addresses a requirement in the area of improved energy 
        efficiency or renewable energy sources, as determined by the 
        Secretary; or
            (2) is a joint venture between--
                    (A)(i) a for-profit business entity, academic 
                institution, National Laboratory (as 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
                    (B)(i) the Federal Government; and
                    (ii) the Government of Israel.
    (d) Applications.--To be eligible to receive a grant under this 
section, an applicant shall submit to the Secretary an application for 
the grant in accordance with procedures established by the Secretary, 
in consultation with the advisory board established under subsection 
(e).
    (e) Advisory Board.--
            (1) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish an 
        advisory board--
                    (A) to monitor the method by which grants are 
                awarded under this section; and
                    (B) to provide to the Secretary periodic 
                performance reviews of actions taken to carry out this 
                section.
            (2) Composition.--The advisory board established under 
        paragraph (1) shall be composed of 3 members, to be appointed 
        by the Secretary, of whom--
                    (A) 1 shall be a representative of the Federal 
                Government;
                    (B) 1 shall be selected from a list of nominees 
                provided by the United States-Israel Binational Science 
                Foundation; and
                    (C) 1 shall be selected from a list of nominees 
                provided by the United States-Israel Binational 
                Industrial Research and Development Foundation.
    (f) Contributed Funds.--Notwithstanding section 3302 of title 31, 
United States Code, the Secretary may accept, retain, and use funds 
contributed by any person, government entity, or organization for 
purposes of carrying out this section--
            (1) without further appropriation; and
            (2) without fiscal year limitation.
    (g) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of completion 
of a project for which a grant is provided under this section, the 
grant recipient shall submit to the Secretary a report that contains--
            (1) a description of the method by which the recipient used 
        the grant funds; and
            (2) an evaluation of the level of success of each project 
        funded by the grant.
    (h) Classification.--Grants shall be awarded under this section 
only for projects that are considered to be unclassified by both the 
United States and Israel.

SEC. 4. TERMINATION.

    The grant program and the advisory committee established under this 
Act terminate on the date that is 7 years after the date of enactment 
of this Act.

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    The Secretary shall use amounts authorized to be appropriated under 
section 931 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16231) to carry 
out this Act.
            Amend the title so as to read: ``To authorize funding for 
        eligible joint ventures between United States and Israeli 
        businesses and academic persons.''.
                                                       Calendar No. 374

110th CONGRESS

  1st Session

                                 S. 838

                          [Report No. 110-176]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

To authorize funding for eligible joint ventures between United States 
     and Israeli businesses and academic persons, to establish the 
      International Energy Advisory Board, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                           September 17, 2007

        Reported with an amendment and an amendment to the title