H.R. 7587 — United States-Israel Agriculture Cooperation Improvement and Expansion Act

This section sets forth congressional findings concerning the United States-Israel Binational Agricultural Research and Development Fund (BARD Fund), including (1) its establishment in 1977 as a competitive funding program for collaborative agricultural research of mutual interest to the United States and Israel; (2) its mission to unite U.S. and Israeli scientists to address key agricultural and food production challenges; (3) its approval of more than 1,300 research projects with a total investment of $315 million that yielded $16 for every $1 spent; and (4) its results in new agricultural practices, commercial engagements, patents, breeding rights licenses, and economic growth for both countries.

This section revises provisions governing the Binational Agricultural Research and Development Fund (BARD)—established by a 1977 U.S.-Israel agreement to fund collaborative agricultural research of mutual benefit—as follows: (1) specifies the relevant agreement as that entered into in 1977; (2) expands the fund's purposes to promote the private agricultural sector in the United States, Israel, Abraham Accords signatories, Arab states that have normalized relations with Israel, and other interested nations and to support mid-stage research advancing U.S.-Israel cooperative projects; and (3) authorizes appropriations of $8 million annually for FY2026 through FY2030.

This section directs the Binational Agricultural Research and Development (BARD) Fund—established under this section to jointly fund U.S.-Israel agricultural research—to create an accelerator program supporting midstage research (as determined by technology readiness level) in BARD-designated priority areas by (1) fast-tracking cooperative research between scientists participating in activities described in subsection (e)(2); (2) accelerating successful development of such research through BARD resources and services; (3) providing management guidance, technical assistance, and consulting to those scientists; or (4) advancing cooperative projects of mutual interest to the United States, Israel, or Abraham Accords signatories. The section authorizes $12 million to the BARD Fund for FY2026 through FY2030.