Findings

Congress finds that— (1) the United States-Israel Binational Agricultural Research and Development Fund (referred to in this section as the BARD Fund)— (A) was established in 1977; and (B) is a competitive funding program that supports collaborative agricultural research in areas of mutual interest to the United States and Israel; (2) 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 countries; (3) since its establishment, the BARD Fund has approved more than 1,300 research projects, with a total investment of $315,000,000 that has gained $16 for every $1 spent; and (4) research funded by the BARD Fund has led to new agricultural practices, commercial engagements, patents, and breeding rights licenses, which serve as a growth engine to the United States and Israeli economies.