117th CONGRESS 2d Session

To encourage the extraction and processing of rare earth elements and critical minerals in the United States, and for other purposes.

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To encourage the extraction and processing of rare earth elements and critical minerals in the United States, 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.

SEC. 2. Definitions.

(1) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES.   The term    appropriate congressional committees    means   

(A) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate; and

(B) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives.

(2) COVERED CRITICAL MINERAL.   The term    covered critical mineral    means   

(A) antimony;

(B) beryllium;

(C) cobalt;

(D) graphite;

(E) lithium;

(F) manganese;

(G) nickel;

(H) tantalum;

(I) tungsten; or

(J) vanadium.

(3) RARE EARTH ELEMENT.   The term    rare earth element    means   

(A) cerium;

(B) dysprosium;

(C) erbium;

(D) europium;

(E) gadolinium;

(F) holmium;

(G) lanthanum;

(H) lutetium;

(I) neodymium;

(J) praseodymium;

(K) promethium;

(L) samarium;

(M) scandium;

(N) terbium;

(O) thulium;

(P) ytterbium; or

(Q) yttrium.

(4) RARE EARTH OR COVERED CRITICAL MINERAL PRODUCT.   The term    rare earth or covered critical mineral product    means a finished, semi-finished, or other intermediate good or component, including a battery or permanent magnet, that contains a rare earth element or covered critical mineral.

SEC. 3. Expansion of National Defense Stockpile requirements and capacity relating to rare earth elements and covered critical minerals.

(a) Findings.   Congress finds that increasing the storage of substantial quantities of rare earth elements, covered critical minerals, and rare earth or covered critical mineral products in the National Defense Stockpile will   

(1) diminish the vulnerability of the United States to the effects of severe disruptions to the supply chains for such elements, minerals, and products; and

(2) provide limited protection from the consequences of an interruption in supplies of such elements, minerals, and products, particularly such elements, minerals, and products required to meet the needs of the Armed Forces and the defense industrial and technology sectors.

(b) Statement of policy.   It is the policy of the United States to expand and maintain a strategic reserve of rare earth elements, covered critical minerals, and rare earth or covered critical mineral products.

(c) Declaration of purposes.   Section 2 of the Strategic and Critical Materials Stock Piling Act (50 U.S.C. 98a) is amended by adding at the end the following:

   (d) The quantities of rare earth elements, covered critical minerals, and rare earth or covered critical mineral products stockpiled under this Act should be sufficient to sustain the United States Armed Forces and the defense industrial and technology sectors of the United States for a period of not less than 3 years during a national emergency situation that would necessitate total mobilization of the economy of the United States for a sustained conventional global war of indefinite duration.   .

(d) National emergency planning assumptions for rare earth elements and covered critical minerals.   Section 14 of the Strategic and Critical Materials Stock Piling Act (50 U.S.C. 98h   5) is amended   

(1) in subsection (b), in the second sentence, by striking    The Secretary shall base    and inserting    Except as provided in subsection (c), the Secretary shall base   

(2) by redesignating subsections (c), (d), and (e) as subsections (d), (e), and (f), respectively; and

(3) by inserting after subsection (b) the following:

   (c) The Secretary shall base the Secretary's recommendations under subsection (a)(1) with respect to stockpile requirements for rare earth elements, covered critical minerals, and rare earth or covered critical mineral products on a national emergency situation that would last for a period of not less than 3 years and necessitate total mobilization of the economy of the United States for a sustained conventional global war of indefinite duration.   .

(e) Limited acquisition authority.   The Strategic and Critical Materials Stock Piling Act (50 U.S.C. 98 et seq.) is amended   

(1) in section 3(c)(2) (50 U.S.C. 98b(c)(2)), by striking    The President    and inserting    In the case of acquisitions of materials the cost of which exceeds the amount specified in section 5(a)(3), the President   

(2) in section 5(a) (50 U.S.C. 98d(a))   

(A) in paragraph (1), in the first sentence, by inserting    under the authority of paragraph (3) or    after    Except for acquisitions made    and

(B) by adding at the end the following:

   (3) The Secretary of Defense may acquire materials determined to be strategic and critical under section 3(a), including rare earth elements, covered critical minerals, and rare earth or covered critical mineral products, without regard to the requirement of the first sentence of subsection (a) if the cost of the materials does not exceed $10,000,000.   

(3) in section 10(c) (50 U.S.C. 98h   1(c))   

(A) in paragraph (2), by striking    all acquisitions and disposals    inserting    acquisitions of materials the cost of which exceeds the amount specified in section 5(a)(3) and all disposals    and

(B) in paragraph (3)(A), by striking    all acquisitions and disposals    and inserting    acquisitions described in paragraph (2) and all disposals    and

(4) in section 11(b)(3) (50 U.S.C. 98h   2(b)(3))   

(A) by inserting    (A)    before    Any proposed expenditure    and

(B) by adding at the end the following:

   (B) Subparagraph (A) does not apply with respect to acquisitions of materials the cost of which does not exceed the amount specified in section 5(a)(3).   .

(f) Definitions.   Section 12 of the Strategic and Critical Materials Stock Piling Act (50 U.S.C. 98h   3) is amended by adding at the end the following:

   (4) The term    covered critical mineral    means   

   (A) antimony;

   (B) beryllium;

   (C) cobalt;

   (D) graphite;

   (E) lithium;

   (F) manganese;

   (G) nickel;

   (H) tantalum;

   (I) tungsten; or

   (J) vanadium.

   (5) The term    rare earth element    means   

   (A) cerium;

   (B) dysprosium;

   (C) erbium;

   (D) europium;

   (E) gadolinium;

   (F) holmium;

   (G) lanthanum;

   (H) lutetium;

   (I) neodymium;

   (J) praseodymium;

   (K) promethium;

   (L) samarium;

   (M) scandium;

   (N) terbium;

   (O) thulium;

   (P) ytterbium; or

   (Q) yttrium.

   (6) The term    rare earth or covered critical mineral product    means a finished, semi-finished, or other intermediate good or component, including a battery or permanent magnet, that contains a rare earth element or covered critical mineral.   .

(g) Authorization of appropriations.   

(1) IN GENERAL.   There are authorized to be appropriated for the National Defense Stockpile Transaction Fund under section 9 of the Strategic and Critical Materials Stock Piling Act (50 U.S.C. 98h)   

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