[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7148 Introduced in House (IH)]
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116th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7148
To establish a United States-Israel Operations-Technology Working
Group, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 11, 2020
Mr. Wilson of South Carolina (for himself and Ms. Houlahan) introduced
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed
Services, and in addition to the Committees on Foreign Affairs, and
Intelligence (Permanent Select), 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 establish a United States-Israel Operations-Technology Working
Group, 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 Military
Capability Act of 2020''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) The United States confronts an intense military
technology competition with the People's Republic of China and
the Russian Federation that may determine whether the United
States can effectively deter and defeat adversaries in the
future.
(2) On July 11, 2019, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
General Mark Milley said, ``China is improving their military
very, very rapidly in space, air, cyber, maritime, land
domains, et cetera.''. Noting the rapid technology development
by the People's Republic of China, General Milley warned that
the United States must ensure ``that we do not lose our
advantages that we have relative to other countries,
specifically relative to China.''.
(3) The People's Republic of China and the Russian
Federation have already developed or fielded some capabilities
in areas such as hypersonics and artificial intelligence that
are superior to those of the United States.
(4) A closer and more systematic early cooperative research
and development effort with select allies may help the United
States more quickly and inexpensively restore and sustain
military supremacy in critical military capabilities.
(5) The innovative and agile defense technology sector of
Israel and the status of Israel as one of the closest and most
reliable allies of the United States make Israel an ideal
candidate for a more systematic and institutionalized
partnership with the United States focused on early cooperative
research and development.
(6) The defense innovation sector of Israel is a global
leader in many of the technologies important to Department of
Defense modernization efforts.
(7) Despite many laudable ongoing defense partnership
efforts between the United States and Israel, dangerous United
States military capability gaps continue to emerge that a more
systematic and institutionalized United States-Israel early
cooperative research and development program could have
prevented.
(8) Such a program would allow the United States to benefit
from the innovation agility and sense of urgency of Israel, and
Israel would benefit from the economy of scale of the United
States. Such a program could be carefully designed to reduce
the time and cost associated with research and development,
assiduously avoiding anything that would slow down or constrain
the research and development of either country.
(9) Belatedly acquiring already produced equipment or
weapons from Israel to fill a United States capability gap is
not a substitute for a systematic program that prevents the
capability gap from emerging in the first place.
(10) On March 4, 2020, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper
said, ``We have a very good innovative base, [the Israelis]
have a very good innovative base. And I think the more we can
cooperate together as allies and partners to come up with
common solutions, the better.''. Secretary Esper continued,
``so I think if there are ways to improve that, we should
pursue it.''.
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) the United States Government has a responsibility to
undertake all reasonable measures to ensure that members of the
Armed Forces never confront a more technologically advanced
foe; and
(2) building on positive ongoing efforts, the United States
and Israel should further institutionalize and strengthen their
defense innovation partnership by establishing a United States-
Israel Operations-Technology Working Group to identify and
expeditiously field capabilities that the military forces of
both countries need to deter and defeat respective adversaries.
SEC. 4. UNITED STATES-ISRAEL OPERATIONS-TECHNOLOGY WORKING GROUP.
(a) In General.--Not later than 60 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense, with the concurrence
of the Minister of Defense of Israel and in consultation with the
Secretary of State and the Director of National Intelligence, shall
establish a United States-Israel Operations-Technology Working Group
(in this Act referred to as the ``Working Group'') for the following
purposes:
(1) To provide a standing forum for the United States and
Israel to systematically share intelligence-informed military
capability requirements.
(2) To identify military capability requirements common to
both the Department of Defense and the Ministry of Defense of
Israel.
(3) To assist defense suppliers in the United States and
Israel with efforts to expeditiously gain government approval
to conduct joint science, technology, research, development,
test, evaluation, and production efforts.
(4) To develop, as feasible and advisable, combined United
States-Israel plans to research, develop, procure, and field
weapons systems and military capabilities as quickly and
economically as possible to meet common capability requirements
of the Department of Defense and the Ministry of Defense of
Israel.
(b) Working Group Leadership.--
(1) United states leadership.--With respect to the United
States, the Working Group shall be headed by the Under
Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering and the
Director of the Joint Staff, with the active support of the
Director of the Bureau of Political Military Affairs of the
Department of State and the Director of National Intelligence.
(2) Israel leadership.--The Secretary of Defense shall
invite the Government of Israel to designate the head of the
appropriate office or offices to head the Working Group with
respect to Israel.
(c) Working Group Membership.--
(1) United states membership.--The Secretary of Defense,
the Secretary of State, and the Director of National
Intelligence shall each designate one or more individuals to
serve as members of the Working Group.
(A) Mandatory united states members.--The
membership of the Working Group shall consist of, at a
minimum, representatives from--
(i) the Office of the Secretary of Defense;
(ii) the Joint Staff;
(iii) each of the military departments
(including, as appropriate, subordinate
entities such as Army Futures Command and
research laboratories);
(iv) the defense agencies (including the
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the
Defense Intelligence Agency, and the Defense
Security Cooperation Agency);
(v) United States Central Command;
(vi) United States European Command;
(vii) United States Indo-Pacific Command;
(viii) the Department of State; and
(ix) the intelligence community.
(B) Rule of construction.--Nothing in this
paragraph shall be construed as limiting the ability of
the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of State, or
the Director of National Intelligence to add members to
the Working Group as considered appropriate.
(2) Israel membership.--The Secretary of Defense, the
Secretary of State, and the Director of National Intelligence
shall invite their counterparts in the Government of Israel to
designate individuals from the Government of Israel to serve as
members of the Working Group.
(3) Representation of defense industry.--
(A) In general.--The Working Group may incorporate
recommendations from the defense industries of the
United States and Israel with respect to combined
science and technology efforts and combined research,
development, test, and evaluation efforts.
(B) Inclusion in working group.--The membership of
the Working Group may include, as appropriate, members
of the defense industries of the United States and
Israel.
(d) Existing Efforts.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of
State, and the Director of National Intelligence shall jointly
determine the most efficient and effective means to integrate
the Working Group into existing United States science and
technology efforts and research, development, test, and
evaluation efforts with Israel.
(2) Rule of construction.--Nothing in this Act shall be
construed as requiring the termination of any existing United
States defense activity, group, program, or partnership with
Israel.
(e) Memorandum of Understanding.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of Defense shall, with the
concurrence of the Minister of Defense of Israel, establish a
memorandum of understanding between the United States and
Israel establishing the United States-Israel Operations
Technology Working Group.
(2) Matters to be included.--The memorandum of
understanding under paragraph (1) shall set forth--
(A) the purposes of the Working Group, consistent
with subsection (a);
(B) the membership of the Working Group, consistent
with subsection (c); and
(C) any other matter considered appropriate.
(f) Reports.--
(1) Initial report.--
(A) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of
Defense, in coordination with the Secretary of State
and the Director of National Intelligence, shall submit
to the appropriate committees of Congress an initial
report on the Working Group.
(B) Elements.--The report required by subparagraph
(A) shall include the following:
(i) The finalized memorandum of
understanding under subsection (e).
(ii) The name of each individual of the
Government of the United States and of the
Government of Israel designated to lead the
Working Group.
(iii) The name of each member of the
Working Group designated under paragraph (1) or
(2) of subsection (c).
(iv) A description of the manner in which
the Working Group is anticipated to complement
and augment existing science and technology
efforts and research, development, test, and
evaluation efforts with Israel.
(v) A schedule for Working Group meetings.
(vi) A description of key metrics and
milestones for the Working Group.
(vii) A description of any authority or
authorization of appropriations required for
the Working Group to carry out the purposes
described in subsection (a).
(C) Form.--The report required by subparagraph (A)
shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may
include a classified annex.
(2) Annual report.--
(A) In general.--Not later than March 15 of each
year following the submittal of the report required by
paragraph (1), the Secretary of Defense, in
coordination with the Secretary of State and the
Director of National Intelligence, shall submit to the
appropriate committees of Congress a report on the
activities of the Working Group during the preceding
calendar year.
(B) Elements.--The report required by subparagraph
(A) shall include the following:
(i) A summary of the performance of the
Working Group relative to--
(I) with respect to the first
annual report under this paragraph, the
metrics and milestones described in the
initial report in accordance with in
paragraph (1)(B)(vi); or
(II) with respect to each
subsequent annual report under this
paragraph, the metrics and milestones
described in the preceding annual
report under clause (viii).
(ii) A description of military capabilities
needed by both the United States and Israel.
(iii) A description of any United States,
or any United States-Israel, science and
technology efforts, or research, development,
test, and evaluation efforts, associated with
the military capabilities described under
clause (ii) carried out during the reporting
period.
(iv) A description of any obstacle or
challenge associated with an effort described
in clause (iii) and the plan of the Working
Group to address such obstacle or challenge.
(v) A description of any request to the
Working Group made by a United States or Israel
defense supplier for combined science and
technology efforts or combined research,
development, test, and evaluation efforts,
including--
(I) the date on which the request
was received;
(II) the efforts made by the
Working Group to expeditiously address
the request; and
(III) the status of any decision
associated with the request.
(vi) A description of the efforts of the
Working Group to prevent the People's Republic
of China or the Russian Federation from
obtaining intellectual property or military
technology associated with combined United
States and Israel science and technology
efforts and research, development, test, and
evaluation efforts.
(vii) A description of any science and
technology effort, or research, development,
test, or evaluation effort, facilitated by the
Working Group, including efforts that result in
a United States or Israel program of record.
(viii) A description of metrics and
milestones for the Working Group for the
following calendar year.
(C) Form.--The report required by subparagraph (A)
shall be submitted in unclassified form and shall
include a classified annex in which the elements
required under clauses (ii) and (vi) of subparagraph
(B) shall be addressed.
(3) Appropriate committees of congress defined.--In this
subsection, the term ``appropriate committees of Congress''
means--
(A) the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee
on Foreign Relations, and the Select Committee on
Intelligence of the Senate; and
(B) the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee
on Foreign Affairs, and the Permanent Select Committee
on Intelligence of the House of Representatives.
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