Sponsors (9)
The bill invests modest federal funding to accelerate U.S.–Israel health innovation and strengthen supply chains and commercialization opportunities, at the cost of new taxpayer spending, privacy and governance risks from international coordination, and potential bias toward commercially attractive projects over some public‑health needs.
Researchers, startups, and small businesses in the U.S. and Israel gain sustained, jointly funded R&D opportunities and increased resources (including a $10M/year program) to develop medical devices, diagnostics, drugs, biologics, and digital health products.
Patients and health systems could get faster access to new treatments, diagnostics, vaccines, and digital tools through coordinated development, shared clinical efforts, and manufacturing collaboration.
Joint U.S.–Israel manufacturing and supply-chain initiatives bolster resilience of biological product supply and strengthen diplomatic and research ties that can yield economic returns and strategic benefits.
Taxpayers face new federal spending (including $10 million per year through FY2032 and additional grant funding) and opportunity costs that could crowd out other domestic priorities.
Sharing health data and coordinating program governance with a foreign ministry raises privacy and data-security risks for U.S. patients unless strong safeguards are enforced.
Prioritizing projects with commercial potential risks biasing funding toward marketable technologies and away from less‑profitable public‑health needs and underserved populations.
Based on analysis of 6 sections of legislative text.
Creates a U.S.–Israel BIRD Health Program and authorizes $10M/year (FY2026–2032) to fund joint health R&D, commercialization, and health system cooperation.
Introduced July 16, 2025 by Randy Weber · Last progress July 16, 2025
Creates a bilateral U.S.–Israel BIRD Health Program to expand joint research, development, commercialization, and health system cooperation for medical devices, drugs, diagnostics, digital health, AI-driven diagnostics, biologics, and related supply chain resilience. The bill directs HHS to enter a cooperative agreement with the BIRD Foundation, sets program goals and selection criteria, requires reporting to Congress, and authorizes $10 million per year for fiscal years 2026–2032 to carry out the program.