The Intergovernmental Critical Minerals Task Force Act (H.R. 7807 & S.1871)

What:

The Intergovernmental Critical Minerals Task Force Act (H.R. 7807 & S. 1871) would facilitate intergovernmental coordination between State, local, Tribal and territorial jurisdictions, and the Federal Government to combat the United States’ reliance on the People’s Republic of China and other foreign adversaries for critical minerals. The bill would support identifying and researching new, environmentally responsible production opportunities for domestic mining, processing, refinement, reuse, and recycling of critical minerals. The bill supports improved strategic international partnership with allies and partners of the U.S. to enhance secure and reliable global critical mineral supply chains while assessing current homeland and national security risks.

Why it matters:

Securing a reliable and sustainable supply of critical minerals necessary for key industries, including renewable energy, technology, military equipment and machinery, and transportation, is an ongoing challenge. Current mining and mineral processing methods that rely on the adversaries can pose a great risk to the national security of the U.S.

The Intergovernmental Critical Minerals Task Force Act combats these challenges by establishing a new federal task force that requires consultation with State, local, Tribal and territorial jurisdictions, and private stakeholders. These entities have the ability to help address security risks related to the mineral supply chain and alleviate bottlenecks to create American jobs and support supply chains grown in the U.S. At the same time, proper coordination will improve mining, processing, refinement, reuse, and recycling of critical minerals in a more environmentally friendly manner. Finally, the task force will develop international partnerships with allies to identify and evaluate alternative methods to bolster the critical mineral supply chain for more immediate results.

What’s next:

Bipartisan support is needed to address continuous challenges in strengthening the critical mineral supply chain. The Intergovernmental Critical Minerals Task Force Act provides the means for coordinating efforts to simultaneously identify and make recommendations to strengthen domestic manufacturing, mining, and recycling and expand the related domestic workforce while increasing supply chain transparency and critical mineral data sharing.