22 U.S.C. § 8607 — Other matters of cooperation

(a) In general. Activities under this section must be approved by the Secretary of State and must align with the National Security Strategy, the U.S. Government Global Health Security Strategy, State Department Integrated Country Strategies, USAID Country Development Cooperation Strategies, and any similar or successor plans, as needed. (b) Development of health technologies. (1) Congress authorizes $4,000,000 to the Secretary of Health and Human Services for fiscal years 2021 through 2023, for a joint grant program with Israel's government to develop health technologies — including the types listed in (2), subject to (3) — with a focus on advancing technology and personalized medicine for COVID-19. (2) These technologies include things like drugs and vaccines, ventilators, diagnostic tests, and telemedicine technology. (3) This money is only available if matched by a contribution from Israel's government. (4) This money may be spent through a bilateral program with Israel that (A) already exists before January 1, 2021, for these purposes, or (B) is newly created after that date by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in consultation with the Secretary of State, under the 2008 U.S.-Israel science and technology cooperation agreement (or its successor). (5) The Secretary must require, as a grant condition, that all research publications and results funded this way — basic and applied — be posted publicly on the Department of Health and Human Services website. (c) Coordinator of United States-Israel Research and Development. (1) The President may designate the Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, or another appropriate State Department official, as the "Coordinator." (2) The Coordinator, working with relevant federal agency heads and coordinating with the Israel Innovation Authority, may oversee joint civilian science and technology programs with Israel. (d) Office of Global Policy and Strategy of the Food and Drug Administration. (1) It is the sense of Congress that the FDA Commissioner should look into collaborating with Israel through the Office of Global Policy and Strategy. (2) Within one year after January 1, 2021, the Commissioner — through that Office — must send a report describing the benefits to the U.S. and Israel of opening an office in Israel, to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and the House Energy and Commerce Committee. (e) United States-Israel Energy Center. Congress authorizes $4,000,000 to the Secretary of Energy for fiscal year 2021 to run the activities of the United States-Israel Energy Center established under section 17337(d) of title 42. (f) United States-Israel Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation. It is the sense of Congress that grants for covered energy projects run by or with this Foundation should get at least $2,000,000 a year under section 17337(b) of title 42. (g) This subsection is intentionally left blank in the statute ("Omitted"). (h) Annual policy dialogue. It is the sense of Congress that the Department of Transportation and Israel's Ministry of Transportation should hold an annual policy dialogue to carry out the 2016 Memorandum of Cooperation signed by both countries' transportation officials. (i) Cooperation on space exploration and science initiatives. NASA's Administrator must keep working with the Israel Space Agency to identify and jointly pursue peaceful space exploration and science projects of shared interest, while taking care to protect sensitive information, intellectual property, trade secrets, and U.S. economic interests. (j) Research and development cooperation relating to desalination technology. Within one year after January 1, 2021, the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy must send a report describing research and development cooperation with international partners, including Israel, on desalination technology under the Water Desalination Act of 1996, to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and the House Natural Resources Committee. (k) Research and treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder. It is the sense of Congress that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs should look into collaboration between the VA's Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Centers of Excellence and Israeli institutions that research and treat PTSD.