H.R. 2609

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2609 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2609

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

Mr. Schneider (for himself and Mr. Hamadeh of Arizona) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

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.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Promoting Education on the Abraham 
Accords for Comprehensive Engagement Act'' or the ``PEACE Act''.

SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) 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;
(2) 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
(3) 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:
(1) 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.
(2) 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 section 3(b), or engaging with regional organizations in the Middle 
East, including--
(1) 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
(2) 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:
(1) One member each by the Chairperson and Ranking Member 
of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
Representatives.
(2) 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:
(1) 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;
(2) A description of the unanimous recommendations of the 
Abraham Accords and Normalization Advisory Board established 
pursuant to section 5 and a detailed explanation of any 
departure from such recommendations in the course of 
implementing the education and training required by this Act.
(3) 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
(4) 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; 22 U.S.C. 8601 note).
(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 ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on 
Appropriations of the House of Representatives; and
(2) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on 
Appropriations of the Senate.
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