A Republican bill with 4 Democratic cosponsors · See all 8 cosponsors
Last activity — Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to create the "BIRD Health Program" to coordinate research and innovation between the United States and Israel. The program is intended to expand collaboration on developing healthcare products and services, as well as delivering them to people in need. It will be administered by the BIRD Foundation and jointly governed by representatives from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Israeli Ministry of Health. Funding is authorized at $10,000,000 for each fiscal year from 2026 through 2032. The program will focus on various areas including medical devices, pharmaceuticals, telemedicine, and disease prevention.
Yes· 3 of 14
- Scored +3
Does this make the country readier for the next outbreak?
The bill funds disease prevention, vaccine development, and supply chain resilience for biological products.
- Scored +3
Does this put more money into medical research?
The bill authorizes $10 million annually for bilateral health research and innovation.
- Scored +3
Does this put more money into scientific research?
The bill provides dedicated funding for bilateral medical and scientific research.
The opposite
- Scored -1
Does this give people more control over their personal data?
The bill's emphasis on health data sharing raises potential privacy concerns.
- Scored -1
Does this protect people from being watched or searched?
The focus on framework development for health data sharing may pose privacy risks.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Enhanced Healthcare Products and Services: The program aims to expand the development and delivery of healthcare products and services to individuals in need (Section 3(a)(1)).
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Medical Innovation: The program supports the research and development of several technologies, including medical devices, diagnostics, pharmaceuticals, biological products, genomics, personalized medicine, telemedicine, digital health technologies, and artificial intelligence for healthcare (Section 3(b)(3)(B)).
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Disease Prevention: Funding is directed toward collaborating on disease prevention, which includes joint efforts to combat infectious diseases, develop vaccines, and share epidemiological data (Section 3(b)(4)(C)).
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Improved Nutrition and Life-Saving Treatments: The program seeks to pursue the accelerated development of life-saving treatments and new sources of nutrition that are healthier and more available at an affordable cost (Section 3(b)(4)(D)(iii)).
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Supply Chain Stability: The program includes strategic collaboration to identify and develop contingency plans to mitigate disruptions in the supply of biological products (Section 3(b)(4)(D)(iv)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Data Sharing and Privacy Concerns: The bill includes work toward developing a framework for sharing health data for research purposes with the Ministry of Health of Israel (Section 3(b)(4)(A)(i)(IV)). While the program aims to encourage cybersecurity standards and promote patient privacy, the provision for sharing health data is a component of the program (Section 3(b)(4)(A)(ii)(IV)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Healthcare
- Does this make the country readier for the next outbreak? — The bill funds disease prevention, vaccine development, and supply chain resilience for biological products. Does this put more money into medical research? — The bill authorizes $10 million annually for bilateral health research and innovation. Does this make health care easier to get in general? — Enhanced R&D in telemedicine and digital health can improve healthcare accessibility. Does this lower the price of prescription medicines? — The program aims to develop more affordable sources of nutrition and life-saving treatments.
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Does this strengthen ties with allied countries? — It strengthens the scientific and health partnership between the U.S. and Israel. Does this better protect the country from computer attacks? — The bill encourages cybersecurity standards for sharing digital health data. Does this favour talking over confrontation abroad? — The program involves joint governance between U.S. and Israeli health authorities. Does this make trade with other countries easier? — The program facilitates technology transfer and market access for healthcare technologies. Does this send more money or help to other countries? — The bill establishes a bilateral investment program with Israel.
- Economy And Finance
- Is this likely to grow the economy? — The bill stimulates economic activity through bilateral R&D and commercialization of health technologies. Does this make it easier to run a small business? — The focus on startup ecosystems and technology transfer benefits innovative small companies. Is this likely to create jobs? — The program supports innovation and commercialization that can lead to job growth in the healthcare sector.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would business owners be better off under this? — The program supports innovation hubs and technology transfer which benefits businesses.
- Education And Technology
- Does this put more money into scientific research? — The bill provides dedicated funding for bilateral medical and scientific research. Does this give people more control over their personal data? — The bill's emphasis on health data sharing raises potential privacy concerns.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this protect people from being watched or searched? — The focus on framework development for health data sharing may pose privacy risks.
- 5/15/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 3/24/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 12/18/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 12/9/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 7/23/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 7/21/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 7/16/2025
- Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- 2 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in House
Julia BrownleyDemocrat · California
Kat CammackRepublican · Florida
Brad FinstadRepublican · Minnesota
Chris PappasDemocrat · New Hampshire
Bradley SchneiderDemocrat · Illinois
Elise StefanikRepublican · New York
Thomas SuozziDemocrat · New York
Claudia TenneyRepublican · New York