[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3717 Introduced in House (IH)]

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114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3717

 To provide for the establishment of a grant program to support United 
States-Israel cooperation for neuroscience-related research and related 
           technological innovation, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 8, 2015

  Mr. Fattah introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                    Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To provide for the establishment of a grant program to support United 
States-Israel cooperation for neuroscience-related research and related 
           technological innovation, 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 ``U.S.-Israel Global Neuroscience 
Partnership Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) It is in the highest national security interests of the 
        United States to develop neuroscience-related research and 
        neurotechnology.
            (2) The State of Israel is a steadfast ally of the United 
        States.
            (3) The four existing bilateral research and development 
        (in this Act referred to as ``R&D'') foundations are successful 
        tools for implementation of diverse programmatic R&D 
        cooperation and include--
                    (A) the United States-Israel Binational Industrial 
                Research and Development Foundation;
                    (B) the United States-Israel Binational Science 
                Foundation;
                    (C) the United States-Israel Binational 
                Agricultural Research and Development Foundation; and
                    (D) the United States-Israel Science & Technology 
                Foundation.
            (4) Given this proven success, it is in the economic 
        interest of the United States to develop closer research, high-
        technology and innovation ties with Israel in strategic areas 
        of mutual interest.
            (5) Both governments agreed to reach an umbrella Science & 
        Technology Agreement under which existing R&D and Innovation 
        funding programs can operate jointly on common priorities, in 
        order to intensify, further and deepen the science and 
        technology (in this Act referred to as ``S&T'') and innovation 
        links between the United States and Israel beyond the existing 
        bilateral foundations operations. The United States Department 
        of State is drafting this Agreement. Congress supports this 
        agreement and its implementation through Federal R&D and 
        innovation programs.
            (6) The State of Israel has a centralized mechanism for 
        policy and funding industrial R&D within the Ministry of 
        Economy's Industrial R&D Administration, known as the Office of 
        the Chief Scientist (in this Act referred to as ``OCS''). The 
        OCS is the State of Israel's national authority in charge of 
        policy and budgeting of industrial R&D and innovation.
            (7) The U.S.-Israel Joint Economic Development Group, a 
        binational economic dialogue between both governments (in this 
        Act referred to as ``JEDG'') to further enhance cooperation 
        between the United States and Israel, requested the United 
        States-Israel Science & Technology Foundation map and identify 
        mechanisms of research and development in neuroscience and 
        neurotechnology that can support further collaboration between 
        the countries.
            (8) Israeli scientists and engineers are at the forefront 
        of research and development in the field of neuroscience.
            (9) Israel Brain Technologies is a nonprofit organization 
        whose mission is to turn Israel into a global brain technology 
        and research leader by--
                    (A) supporting applied brain research;
                    (B) accelerating brain technology development;
                    (C) creating and fostering a community around 
                neurotechnology; and
                    (D) attracting key stakeholders to partner and 
                support brain technology in Israel.
            (10) Enhanced cooperation between the United States and 
        Israel for the purpose of research and development of 
        neuroscience that would be in the national interests of both 
        countries.
    (b) Bilateral Industrial R&D and Innovation Programs.--
            (1) Congress supports the expansion of U.S.-Israel industry 
        driven R&D with Federal and State entities through innovation 
        linkages to promote economic growth and job creation.
            (2) It is in the best interest of the United States to hold 
        a regular dialogue with Israel's OCS aiming to identify 
        potential synergies and coordinating bilateral cooperation 
        between R&D programs supported by the Federal Government and 
        the Government of Israel detailing pathways to partnership with 
        the OCS, and Israel's Ministry of Science, Technology, and 
        Space (in this Act referred to as ``MOST'').

SEC. 3. GRANTS FOR NEUROSCIENCE-RELATED RESEARCH.

    (a) Authority.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting 
through the Director of the National Institutes of Health, in 
consultation with their government counterparts at OCS and MOST, shall 
award grants to eligible entities for neuroscience-related research and 
related technological innovation.
    (b) Application.--
            (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 OCS and MOST, may require.
            (2) Selection of eligible entities.--The Secretary, in 
        consultation with the Directors of the OCS and MOST, 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 Committee, for a grant under 
        this section.
    (c) Relation to SBIR and STTR Programs.--The Secretary shall carry 
out this section through the Small Business Innovation Research 
(``SBIR'') and Small Business Technology Transfer (``STTR'') programs 
of the National Institutes of Health.
    (d) 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 OCS and MOST.
    (e) Private Funds.--The Secretary may accept contributions of funds 
from private sources to carry out this Act.
    (f) Report.--Not later than 180 days after receiving a grant under 
this section, each recipient shall submit a report to the Secretary--
            (1) documenting how the recipient used the grant funds; and
            (2) evaluating the level of success of each project funded 
        by the grant.

SEC. 4. U.S.-ISRAEL NEUROSCIENCE ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established in the National Institutes 
of Health a U.S.-Israel Neuroscience Advisory Committee.
    (b) Duties.--The Advisory Committee shall advise the Secretary on--
            (1) criteria for the recipients of grants awarded under 
        section 3(a); and
            (2) the total amount of grant money to be awarded to all 
        grantees selected by the Secretary, in consultation with the 
        OCS and MOST.
    (c) Membership.--
            (1) Composition.--The Advisory Committee shall be composed 
        of--
                    (A) 3 members appointed by the Director of the 
                National Institutes of Health; and
                    (B) in addition to the members appointed under 
                subparagraph (A), 3 members who shall be Israeli 
                citizens, appointed by the Director of the National 
                Institutes of Health after consultation with 
                appropriate officials in the Israeli Government.
            (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.
            (3) Term.--Each member of the Advisory Committee shall be 
        appointed for a term of 4 years.
            (4) Vacancies.--A vacancy on the Advisory Committee shall 
        be filled in the manner in which the original appointment was 
        made.
            (5) Basic pay.--
                    (A) Compensation.--A member of the Advisory 
                Committee shall serve without pay.
                    (B) Travel expenses.--Each member of the Advisory 
                Committee 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.
            (6) Quorum.--Three members of the Advisory Committee shall 
        constitute a quorum.
            (7) Chairperson.--The Chairperson of the Advisory Committee 
        shall be designated by the Director of the National Institutes 
        of Health from among the members appointed by the Director at 
        the time of the appointment.
            (8) Meetings.--The Advisory Committee shall meet at least 
        once annually at the call of the Chairperson.
    (d) Termination.--Section 14(a)(2)(B) of the Federal Advisory 
Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the Advisory 
Committee.

SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Advisory committee.--The term ``Advisory Committee'' 
        means the U.S.-Israel Neuroscience Advisory Committee 
        established by section 4(a).
            (2) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means a 
        joint venture that--
                    (A) is comprised of--
                            (i) Israeli and United States private 
                        business entities;
                            (ii) Israeli academic persons and United 
                        States academic persons;
                            (iii) one or more Israeli private business 
                        entities and one or more United States academic 
                        persons; or
                            (iv) one or more United States private 
                        business entities and one or more Israeli 
                        academic persons;
                    (B) carries out an eligible project; and
                    (C) is selected by the Secretary, in consultation 
                with the OCS or MOST, using the criteria established by 
                the Secretary, in consultation with the Advisory 
                Committee.
            (3) Eligible project.--The term ``eligible project'' means 
        a project to encourage cooperation between the United States 
        and Israel on neuroscience-related research and related 
        technological innovation.
            (4) Israeli academic person.--The term ``Israeli academic 
        person'' means--
                    (A) an institution of higher education that is 
                located in Israel;
                    (B) a subsidiary or affiliate of such an 
                institution that is located in Israel; or
                    (C) an individual who--
                            (i) conducts research for such an 
                        institution, subsidiary, or affiliate as an 
                        employee or contractor; and
                            (ii) resides and works in Israel.
            (5) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Health and Human Services.
            (6) United states academic person.--The term ``United 
        States academic person'' means--
                    (A) an institution of higher education that is 
                located in the United States;
                    (B) a subsidiary or affiliate of such an 
                institution that is located in the United States; or
                    (C) an individual who--
                            (i) conducts research for such an 
                        institution, subsidiary, or affiliate as an 
                        employee or contractor; and
                            (ii) resides and works in the United 
                        States.

SEC. 6. TERMINATION.

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

SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    The Secretary is authorized to expend not more than $20,000,000 to 
carry out this Act for each of fiscal years 2016 through 2022.
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