[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1229 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1229
To enhance bilateral defense cooperation between the United States and
Israel, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 12, 2025
Mr. Wilson of South Carolina (for himself and Mr. Norcross) introduced
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed
Services, and in addition to the Committee on 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 enhance bilateral defense cooperation between the United States and
Israel, 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 Defense
Partnership Act of 2025''.
SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) the United States and Israel--
(A) are bound closely by historic and cultural ties
and mutual interests; and
(B) face common threats, which are constantly
evolving in scope, scale, and lethality;
(2) to most effectively counter such shared threats, the
United States and Israel must expand their defense partnership
to develop new technologies and leverage the unique
capabilities offered by defense industrial base of each
country; and
(3) this Act furthers such goal through the establishment
of several joint initiatives.
SEC. 3. UNITED STATES-ISRAEL PROGRAM ON COUNTERING UNMANNED SYSTEMS.
(a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
(1) The increasing use of unmanned systems by state and
nonstate actors poses a significant threat to the national
security of the United States and its allies, including Israel.
(2) Cooperation in developing and deploying counter-
unmanned systems technology will enhance mutual security and
strengthen bilateral defense capabilities.
(3) Israel is a global leader in the development of
advanced counter-unmanned systems technologies, and a
cooperative program will leverage shared expertise and
resources to address evolving threats.
(b) Establishment.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of Defense, with the
concurrence of the Minister of Defense of Israel, shall
establish a cooperative program between the United States and
Israel, to be known as the ``United States-Israel Counter-
Unmanned Systems Program'', for the purpose of enhancing
cooperation between the United States and Israel for purposes
of--
(A) developing, testing, evaluating, and deploying
advanced technologies for countering unmanned systems
that threaten the United States and Israel;
(B) sharing technical expertise and data on
emerging unmanned systems and related threats;
(C) conducting joint research and development
initiatives; and
(D) deploying and integrating counter-unmanned
systems for mutual defense.
(2) Activities.--The program established under this
subsection shall include the following:
(A) Collaborative research initiatives involving
government, private sector, and academic institutions
in the United States and Israel, conducted in a manner
that protects sensitive technology and information and
the national security interests of the United States
and Israel.
(B) Joint training exercises and information-
sharing mechanisms to enhance operational readiness of
personnel of the United States and of Israel.
(C) The establishment, within the Department of
Defense, of a United States-Israel Counter-Unmanned
Systems Program Office to oversee program execution and
coordination.
(D) The procurement and deployment of counter-
unmanned systems.
(c) Annual Report.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the
Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committee on Armed
Services of the Senate and the Committee on Armed Services of
the House of Representatives a report on the implementation of
the program established under this section.
(2) Elements.--Each report required by paragraph (1) shall
include, for the preceding year--
(A) a description of activities conducted under the
program;
(B) an assessment of progress made in addressing
unmanned systems threats and requirements;
(C) an assessment of the program's collaboration
with other relevant United States Government programs,
including the United States-Israel Operations-
Technology Working Group and Counter Unmanned Aerial
Systems program run by the Irregular Warfare Technical
Support Directorate; and
(D) recommendations for future program activities
and funding.
(3) Form.--Each report submitted under paragraph (1) shall
be submitted in unclassified form but may include a classified
annex as necessary to protect sensitive information.
(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated $150,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030 to
carry out the program under this section.
(e) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be
construed to alter or supersede agreements or obligations between the
United States and Israel in existence on the date of the enactment of
this Act.
SEC. 4. EXTENSION AND MODIFICATION OF UNITED STATES-ISRAEL ANTI-TUNNEL
COOPERATION.
Section 1279 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal
Year 2016 (Public Law 114-92; 22 U.S.C. 8606 note) is amended--
(1) in subsection (b)(4), by striking ``$50,000,000'' and
inserting ``$80,000,000''; and
(2) in subsection (f), by striking ``December 31, 2026''
and inserting ``December 31, 2028''.
SEC. 5. EXTENSION AND MODIFICATION OF UNITED STATES-ISRAEL COOPERATION
TO COUNTER UNMANNED AERIAL SYSTEMS.
Section 1278 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal
Year 2020 (22 U.S.C. 8606 note) is amended--
(1) in subsection (b)(4), by striking ``$55,000,000'' and
inserting ``$75,000,000''; and
(2) in subsection (f), by striking ``December 31, 2026''
and inserting ``December 31, 2028''.
SEC. 6. UNITED STATES-ISRAEL EMERGING TECHNOLOGY CAPABILITIES
COOPERATION.
(a) Statement of Policy.--It is the policy of the United States to
support and encourage further defense collaboration with Israel in
areas of emerging technologies capable of enabling the warfare
capabilities of both the United States and Israel to meet emerging
defense challenges, including in the areas of artificial intelligence,
cybersecurity, robotics, quantum, and automation.
(b) Authority To Establish Emerging Defense Technology Capabilities
Program With Israel.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of Defense, upon request by
the Ministry of Defense of Israel and in consultation with the
Secretary of State and the Director of National Intelligence,
is authorized to carry out, jointly with Israel, research,
development, test, and evaluation in areas of emerging
technologies capable of enabling the warfare capabilities of
the United States and Israel to meet emerging defense
challenges, including in the areas of artificial intelligence,
cybersecurity, robotics, quantum, and automation.
(2) Protection of sensitive information.--Any activity
carried out pursuant to the authority provided by paragraph (1)
shall be conducted in a manner that appropriately protects
sensitive information and the national security interests of
the United States and Israel.
(3) Report.--None of the activities described in paragraph
(1) may be carried out until the date on which the Secretary of
Defense submits to the Committees on Armed Services of the
Senate and the House of Representatives a report that sets
forth the following:
(A) A memorandum of agreement between the United
States and Israel regarding sharing of research and
development costs for the capabilities described in
paragraph (1), and any supporting documents.
(B) A certification that such memorandum of
agreement--
(i) requires sharing of costs of projects,
including in-kind support, between the United
States and Israel;
(ii) establishes a framework to negotiate
the rights to any intellectual property
developed under the memorandum of agreement;
and
(iii) requires the United States Government
to receive semiannual reports on expenditure of
funds, if any, by the Government of Israel,
including a description of what the funds have
been used for, when funds were expended, and an
identification of entities that expended the
funds.
(c) Lead Agency.--Not earlier than the date on which the Secretary
of Defense submits the report required by subsection (b)(3), the
Secretary of Defense shall designate the Irregular Warfare Technology
Support Directorate as the lead agency of the Department of Defense in
carrying out this section.
(d) Semiannual Reports.--The Secretary of Defense shall submit to
the appropriate committees of Congress on a semiannual basis a report
that contains a copy of the most recent semiannual report provided by
the Government of Israel to the Department of Defense pursuant to
subsection (b)(3)(B)(iii).
(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030 to
carry out the program under this section.
SEC. 7. EXTENSION OF WAR RESERVES STOCKPILE AUTHORITY.
Section 12001(d) of the Department of Defense Appropriations Act,
2005 (Public Law 108-287; 118 Stat. 1011) is amended by striking
``after January 1, 2027'' and inserting ``after January 1 2029''.
SEC. 8. ESTABLISHMENT OF DEFENSE INNOVATION UNIT OFFICE IN ISRAEL.
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this
Act, the Secretary of Defense shall establish in Israel a Defense
Innovation Unit office--
(1) to engage the Minister of Defense of Israel and
representatives of the private sector in collaborative efforts
to counter development by Iran of dual-use defense
technologies; and
(2) to leverage resources and innovation activities of the
United States and Israel for the benefit of the national
security of the United States and Israel.
SEC. 9. NATIONAL TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRIAL BASE.
(a) In General.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall seek to engage
the Minister of Defense of Israel in a discussion of the process of the
ascension of Israel into the national technology and industrial base
(as defined in section 4801 of title 10, United States Code).
(b) Protection of Sensitive Information.--Any activity carried out
pursuant to the authority provided by subsection (a) shall be conducted
in a manner that appropriately protects sensitive information and the
national security interests of the United States and Israel.
SEC. 10. ASSESSMENT OF INTEGRATED AIR AND MISSILE DEFENSE IN REGION
COVERED BY UNITED STATES CENTRAL COMMAND.
(a) Assessment Required.--The Secretary of Defense shall conduct an
assessment of the integrated air and missile defense in the region
cover by United States Central Command.
(b) Elements.--The assessment conducted pursuant to subsection (a)
shall cover the following:
(1) The current strength of the integrated air and missile
defense in the region described in subsection (a).
(2) How best to strengthen the integrated air and missile
defense described in paragraph (1).
(3) What would be required to expand or deepen cooperation
among the United States, Israel, and other regional partners of
the United States to achieve full operational capability of the
integrated air and missile defense described in paragraph (1),
including identification of the amount of funding and new legal
authorities that may be required for such expansion or
deepening.
(c) Considerations.--In carrying out the assessment required by
subsection (a), the Secretary shall consider the following:
(1) The strategy required by section 1658(b) of James M.
Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023
(Public Law 117-263).
(2) Current cooperation among partners of the United States
in the region described by subsection (a) on integrated air and
missile defense.
(3) Lessons learned in countering the April 13, 2024, and
October 1, 2024, airstrikes by Iran against Israel.
(d) Report.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall
submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and
the House of Representatives a report on the assessment
conducted under this section.
(2) Form.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall be
submitted in unclassified form but may contain a classified
annex.
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