H.R. 2609

119th CONGRESS 1st Session

To promote education and training to United States diplomatic personnel relating to the Abraham Accords and other normalization agreements with Israel, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES · April 2, 2025 · Sponsor: Mr. Schneider · Committee: Committee on Foreign Affairs

Table of contents

• H.R. 2609
  • SEC. 1. Short title
  • SEC. 2. Sense of congress
  • SEC. 3. Abraham Accords and normalization education and training
  • SEC. 4. Fellowships and exchanges
  • SEC. 5. Abraham accords and normalization advisory board
  • SEC. 6. Strategy and reporting requirements

SEC. 1. Short title

• This Act may be cited as the or the .

SEC. 2. Sense of congress

• It is the sense of Congress that—
  • educating relevant Federal officials on the provisions of the Abraham Accords, as well as the provisions of prior normalization agreements with Israel, is essential to advancing the United States commitment to peace, cooperation, and stability in the Middle East;
  • the Secretary of State should ensure that United States diplomats and related personnel working in the region or on related issues receive comprehensive training on the history, principles, and future applications of the Abraham Accords and other normalization agreements; and
  • the Secretary of State should ensure that United States diplomats are taught about the policy codified in section 104 of the Israel Relations Normalization Acts of 2022 and future iterations of the policy as amended.

SEC. 3. Abraham Accords and normalization education and training

• (a) In general
  • To carry out the policy described in section 2, the Secretary of State may undertake the following:
    • Supplementing existing offerings at the Foreign Service Institute and other relevant Department of State training facilities with courses focused on the Abraham Accords, peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan, and other such normalization agreements relating to Israel as determined by the Secretary of State. Such courses shall be developed to provide an understanding of these agreements’ diplomatic history, implementation strategies, and implications for regional peace.
    • Developing virtual training modules and interactive content accessible by employees and officers of the Department of State worldwide, focused on the principles, history, and diplomatic impacts of these agreements.
• (b) Scope of training
  • For purposes of training and education activities implementing subsection (a)(2), the Secretary of State shall determine the countries eligible to provide such training in a manner that ensures alignment with current diplomatic landscape and objectives.

SEC. 4. Fellowships and exchanges

• The Director General of the Foreign Service is authorized to award fellowships or grants to eligible Foreign Service officers participating in programs, projects, or activities engaging with appropriate counterparts of Abraham Accords and other normalization agreement countries, as determined by the Secretary of State pursuant to , or engaging with regional organizations in the Middle East, including—
  • short-term and long-term fellowships with educational institutions, nongovernmental organizations, or diplomatic organizations involved in the negotiation and implementation of the Abraham Accords and other agreements; and
  • opportunities to collaborate with regional governmental and non-governmental institutions that are part of the Abraham Accords or have normalized relations with Israel.

SEC. 5. Abraham accords and normalization advisory board

• (a) Establishment
  • Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall establish a nonpartisan Abraham Accords and Normalization Advisory Board consisting of 4 individuals with expertise in diplomacy, Middle Eastern studies, interfaith dialogue, and peace-building.
• (b) Membership
  • The members of the Abraham Accords and Normalization Advisory Board shall be appointed as follows:
    • One member each by the Chairperson and Ranking Member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives.
    • One member each by the Chairperson and Ranking Member of the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate.
• (c) Duties
  • The Board shall be responsible for providing on a unanimous basis independent advice and recommendations on curriculum development, resource management, and strategic planning for education and training curricula within the Foreign Service Institute and the Department of State relating to the Abraham Accords and other normalization agreements.

SEC. 6. Strategy and reporting requirements

• (a) In general
  • Not later than 1 year after the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall develop and submit to the appropriate congressional committees a strategy for the Department of State to implement comprehensive training and education programs focused on the Abraham Accords and other normalization agreements with Israel.
• (b) Elements
  • The strategy shall include:
    • A plan for integrating education on the Abraham Accords and other normalization agreements into existing training frameworks for Foreign Service Officers and other personnel of the Department of State;
    • A description of the unanimous recommendations of the Abraham Accords and Normalization Advisory Board established pursuant to and a detailed explanation of any departure from such recommendations in the course of implementing the education and training required by this Act.
    • An outline of training requirements and goals to promote the understanding and operational capacity of United States personnel working with or on issues related to Abraham Accords and normalization agreements in the relevant countries; and
    • An analysis of the manner and extent to which the implementation of the education and training required by this Act supports the strategy required by section 105 of the Israel Relations Normalization Act of 2022 (division Z of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022; note). 22 U.S.C. 8601
• (c) Ongoing reports
  • Not later than 1 year after the submission of the report required by subsection (a), and annually thereafter for 4 years, the Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report detailing the progress, challenges, and measurable outcomes of the educational initiatives developed pursuant to this Act.
• (d) Appropriate congressional committees defined
  • In this section, the term means— appropriate congressional committees
    • the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives; and
    • the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate.