119-hr1229

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1229 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

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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