S 4853: United States-Israel Agriculture Cooperation Improvement and Expansion Act

Congress: 119 · Status: active · Israel/Palestine classification: pro-Israel

Data (JSON) — machine-readable record of this bill (identifiers, sponsor, classification, actions, and the member-by-member vote breakdown).

Official record on Congress.gov — full text, actions, and cosponsor history for S 4853.

Sponsor: Hoeven, John (R-North Dakota)

Editorial Explainer

This bill expands the US-Israel Binational Agricultural Research and Development Fund (BARD), a joint research program established in 1977. It adds a new "accelerator" program to fast-track mid-stage agricultural research projects between US and Israeli scientists, and authorizes $8 million per year for fiscal years 2027–2031 to support these expanded activities.

Why it matters

This increases federal funding for a bilateral research partnership with Israel, cementing agricultural cooperation as a pillar of US-Israel relations. The bill frames the partnership as economically beneficial to both countries and positions it as a long-term commitment through 2031.

Cosponsors (1)