Sponsors (9)
The bill directs sustained U.S.–Israel health R&D funding and program structure to accelerate commercialization and patient access to new health technologies, at the trade‑off of added taxpayer cost, potential crowding‑out of other research priorities, governance and privacy risks, and added regulatory/administrative burdens.
Researchers, startups, and small businesses in the U.S. and Israel gain sustained, predictable funding and partnership opportunities (including $10M/year FY2026–2032) to accelerate joint health R&D and commercialization.
Patients (including those with chronic conditions) and health systems could receive faster access to new treatments, diagnostics, digital tools, and vaccines due to coordinated development, shared trials, and joint manufacturing initiatives.
Strengthens U.S.–Israel research and diplomatic ties and improves resilience of biological product supply chains through joint manufacturing and shared capabilities.
Taxpayers fund the program (including a $10M/year appropriation and additional grant awards), increasing federal spending and fiscal cost that could be borne by taxpayers or crowd out other priorities.
Directing limited federal R&D dollars toward a bilateral U.S.–Israel program risks skewing funding away from domestic-only or multilateral research priorities and from less-commercial public‑health needs.
Routing funds through a non‑federal entity (BIRD Foundation) and coordinating governance with a foreign government can reduce direct federal control, create administrative complexity or accountability gaps, and cause program delays.
Based on analysis of 6 sections of legislative text.
Creates a U.S.–Israel BIRD Health Program for joint health R&D and commercialization and authorizes $10M per year for FY2026–2032 to fund projects administered through the BIRD Foundation.
Official title: To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a bilateral research and innovation program to facilitate and coordinate efforts between the United States and Israel in certain health-related areas, and for other purposes.
Introduced July 16, 2025 by Randy Weber · Last progress July 16, 2025
Creates a bilateral United States–Israel BIRD Health Program to fund and coordinate joint health research, development, commercialization, and health-system innovation. The Secretary of Health and Human Services must enter a cooperative agreement with the BIRD Foundation (coordinated with the Secretary of Commerce and Israel’s Ministry of Health) to run the program and select projects by technical merit, commercial potential, and joint priorities. Authorizes $10 million per year for fiscal years 2026–2032 to be administered through the BIRD Foundation, requires timelines for program start-up and proposal acceptance, and mandates annual and triennial reports to Congress on program progress, economic/scientific benefits, and recommendations for renewal or expansion.