,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #dhec  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,june #bb1     
#bjbf,mr4 ,hoeven 7for himself and ,mrs4
 ,gillibrand7 introduced the following  
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations
  ,a ,,bill  ,to amend the ,national    
,agricultural ,research1 ,extension1 and
 ,teaching ,policy ,act of #aigg to     
modify the ,,bard ,fund1 and for other  
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,united             
,states-,israel ,agriculture            
,cooperation ,improvement and ,expansion
 ,act4  #b4 ,findings ,congress finds   
that-- 7#a7 the ,united ,states-,israel 
,binational ,agricultural ,research and 
,development ,fund 7referred to in this 
section as the ,,bard ,fund7-- 7,a7 was 
established in #aigg2 and  7,b7 is a    
competitive funding program that        
supports collaborative agricultural     
research in areas of mutual interest to 
the ,united ,states and ,israel2  7#b7  

the primary mission of the ,,bard ,fund 
is to bring together ,united ,states and
 ,israeli scientists to jointly address 
key agricultural and food production    
challenges that concern both countries2 
7#c7 since its establishment1 the ,,bard
 ,fund has approved more than #a1cjj    
research projects1 with a total         
investment of #cae1jjj1jjj that has     
gained #af for every #a spent2 and  7#d7
 research funded by the ,,bard ,fund has
 led to new agricultural practices1     
commercial engagements1 patents1 and    
breeding rights licenses1 which serve as
 a growth engine to the ,united ,states 
and ,israeli economies4  #c4 ,,bard     
,fund ,section #adeh7;e7 of the         
,national ,agricultural ,research1      
,extension1 and ,teaching ,policy ,act  
of #aigg 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #cbia7;e77 is    
amended-- 7#a7 in paragraph 7#a71 by    
striking entered into and inserting as  
entered into in #aigg2  7#b7 in         
paragraph 7#b7-- 7,a7 in subparagraph   
7,a71 by striking and at the end2  7,b7 

in subparagraph 7,b71 by striking the   
period at the end and inserting 2 and2  
and  7,c7 by adding at the end the      
following3  7,c7 support mid-stage      
research to advance cooperative         
agricultural research projects of mutual
 interest to the ,united ,states and    
,israel4  2 and  7#c7 by adding at the  
end the following3  7#c7 ,bard fund     
accelerator ,the ,,bard ,fund shall     
establish an accelerator program that   
supports mid-stage research1 as         
determined by the technology readiness  
level1 in priority areas established by 
the ,,bard ,fund1 and-- 7,a7 fast-tracks
 cooperative research between scientists
 participating in ,,bard ,fund          
activities2  7,b7 accelerates the       
successful development of agricultural  
research through resources and services 
developed or orchestrated by the ,,bard 
,fund2  7,c7 provides management        
guidance1 technical assistance1 and     
consulting to scientists participating  
in activities described in paragraph    

7#b72 or  7,d7 advances cooperative     
agricultural research projects of mutual
 interest to the ,united ,states and    
,israel4  7#d7 ,authorization of        
appropriations ,there is authorized to  
be appropriated to the ,,bard ,fund to  
carry out activities under this         
subsection #h1jjj1jjj for each of fiscal
 years #bjbg through #bjca4  4