[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3683 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3683

 To amend the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to improve 
    United States-Israel energy cooperation, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 10, 2013

Mr. Upton (for himself, Mr. Waxman, Mr. Terry, Mr. Gene Green of Texas, 
and Mr. Bilirakis) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, and in addition to the 
Committees on Energy and Commerce and 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 amend the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to improve 
    United States-Israel energy cooperation, 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. UNITED STATES-ISRAEL ENERGY COOPERATION.

    (a) Findings.--Section 917(a) of the Energy Independence and 
Security Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17337(a)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``renewable'' and 
        inserting ``covered'';
            (2) in paragraph (4)--
                    (A) by striking ``possible many'' and inserting 
                ``possible--
                    ``(A) many'';
                    (B) by inserting ``and'' after the semicolon at the 
                end; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(B) significant contributions to the development 
                of renewable energy and energy efficiency through the 
                established programs of the United States-Israel 
                Binational Industrial Research and Development 
                Foundation and the United States-Israel Binational 
                Science Foundation;'';
            (3) in paragraph (6)--
                    (A) by striking ``renewable'' and inserting 
                ``covered''; and
                    (B) by striking ``and'' after the semicolon at the 
                end;
            (4) in paragraph (7)--
                    (A) by striking ``renewable'' and inserting 
                ``covered''; and
                    (B) by striking the period at the end and inserting 
                a semicolon; and
            (5) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(8) United States-Israel energy cooperation, and the 
        development of natural resources by Israel, are strategic 
        interests of the United States;
            ``(9) Israel is a strategic partner of the United States in 
        water technology;
            ``(10) the United States can play a role in assisting 
        Israel with regional safety and security issues;
            ``(11) the National Science Foundation of the United States 
        should collaborate with the Israel Science Foundation;
            ``(12) the United States and Israel should strive to 
        develop more robust academic cooperation in energy innovation 
        technology and engineering, water science, technology transfer, 
        and analysis of geopolitical implications of new natural 
        resource development and associated areas;
            ``(13) the United States supports the goals of the 
        Alternative Fuels Administration of Israel;
            ``(14) the United States strongly urges open dialogue and 
        continued mechanisms for regular engagement and encourages 
        further cooperation between applicable departments, agencies, 
        ministries, institutions of higher education, and the private 
        sectors of the United States and Israel on energy security 
        issues, including--
                    ``(A) identifying policy priorities associated with 
                the development of natural resources of Israel;
                    ``(B) discussing best practices to secure cyber 
                energy infrastructure;
                    ``(C) best practice sharing;
                    ``(D) leveraging natural gas to positively impact 
                regional stability;
                    ``(E) improving energy efficiency and the overall 
                performance of water desalination, wastewater treatment 
                and reclamation, and other water treatment 
                technologies;
                    ``(F) technical and environmental management of 
                deep-water exploration and production;
                    ``(G) coastal protection and restoration;
                    ``(H) academic outreach and engagement;
                    ``(I) private sector and business development 
                engagement;
                    ``(J) regulatory consultations;
                    ``(K) leveraging alternative transportation fuels 
                and technologies; and
                    ``(L) any other areas determined appropriate by the 
                United States and Israel;
            ``(15) the United States acknowledges the achievements and 
        importance of the United States-Israel Binational Industrial 
        Research and Development Foundation and the United States-
        Israel Binational Science Foundation and supports continued 
        multiyear funding to ensure the continuity of the programs of 
        the Foundations; and
            ``(16) the United States and Israel have a shared interest 
        in addressing their immediate, near-term, and long-term energy 
        and environmental challenges.''.
    (b) Establishment.--Section 917(b)(1) of the Energy Independence 
and Security Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17337(b)(1)) is amended by striking 
``to support research, development, and commercialization of renewable 
energy or energy efficiency'' and inserting ``to support energy 
efficiency, established energy development programs, and research, 
development, and commercialization of covered energy''.
    (c) Types of Energy.--Section 917(b)(2) of the Energy Independence 
and Security Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17337(b)(2)) is amended--
            (1) in the heading, by striking ``Types of'' and inserting 
        ``Covered'';
            (2) in subparagraph (F), by striking ``and'' after the 
        semicolon at the end;
            (3) in subparagraph (G), by striking the period at the end 
        and inserting a semicolon; and
            (4) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(H) natural gas energy, including conventional 
                and unconventional natural gas technologies and natural 
                gas projects conducted by or in conjunction with the 
                United States-Israel Binational Science Foundation, the 
                United States-Israel Binational Industrial Research and 
                Development Foundation, and the United States-Israel 
                Science and Technology Foundation; and
                    ``(I) improvement of energy efficiency and the 
                overall performance of water desalination, wastewater 
                treatment and reclamation, and other water treatment 
                technologies.''.
    (d) Eligible Applicants.--Section 917(b)(3) of the Energy 
Independence and Security Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17337(b)(3)) is 
amended by striking ``energy efficiency or renewable'' and inserting 
``covered''.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations; International Partnerships.--
Section 917 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (42 
U.S.C. 17337) is amended--
            (1) by striking subsection (d);
            (2) by redesignating subsection (c) as subsection (e); and
            (3) by inserting after subsection (b) the following:
    ``(c) International Partnerships.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary may, subject to the 
        availability of appropriations, enter into cooperative 
        agreements supporting and enhancing dialogue and planning 
        involving international partnerships between the Department and 
        the Government of Israel and its ministries, offices, and 
        institutions. The cooperative agreements shall include energy 
        activities in addition to those involving research and 
        development, and shall ensure that the shared technologies and 
        other benefits of energy cooperation promote the domestic 
        energy production of both nations.
            ``(2) Federal share.--The Secretary may not pay more than 
        50 percent of the costs described in paragraph (1).
            ``(3) Annual reports.--The Secretary shall submit to the 
        Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of 
        Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural 
        Resources of the Senate an annual report that describes--
                    ``(A) actions taken to carry out this subsection; 
                and
                    ``(B) any projects under this subsection for which 
                the Secretary requests funding.
    ``(d) United States-Israel Center.--The Secretary may establish a 
joint United States-Israel Center based in an area of the United States 
with the experience, knowledge, and expertise in offshore energy 
development to further dialogue and collaboration to develop energy 
efficiency, existing energy development programs, and more robust 
academic cooperation in energy innovation technology and engineering, 
water science, technology transfer, and analysis of geopolitical 
implications of new natural resource development and associated 
areas.''.
    (f) Termination.--Subsection (e) of section 917 of the Energy 
Independence and Security Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17337) (as 
redesignated by subsection (d)(2)) is amended by striking ``the date 
that is 7 years after the date of enactment of this Act'' and inserting 
``September 30, 2024''.

SEC. 2. UNITED STATES-ISRAEL ENERGY COOPERATION WORKING GROUP.

    (a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that open 
dialogue and continued mechanisms for regular engagement encourages 
further cooperation between applicable departments, agencies, 
ministries, institutions of higher education, and the private sectors 
of the United States and Israel on energy security issues.
    (b) Establishment.--The Secretary of Energy and the Secretary of 
State shall seek to establish an Energy Cooperation Working Group 
within the semi-annual United States-Israel Strategic Dialogue.
    (c) Purpose.--The purpose of the Energy Cooperation Working Group 
referred to in subsection (b) shall be to strengthen dialogue between 
the United States and Israel on--
            (1) strategies to advance the deployment of renewable 
        energy and energy efficiency;
            (2) identifying policy priorities associated with the 
        development of the natural resources of Israel;
            (3) best practices for energy infrastructure cybersecurity;
            (4) leveraging natural gas resources to positively impact 
        regional stability;
            (5) technical and environmental management of deep-water 
        exploration and production; and
            (6) coastal protection and restoration.
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