This Legislation:
- directs the lead Federal agency to complete the permitting process with maximum efficiency and effectiveness, including by establishing and adhering to timelines, clear and quantifiable performance goals, early collaboration with interested parties, and other metrics. This bill also allows for a sufficiency determination under NEPA and establishes a framework for a memorandum of agreement between all parties
- directs the Secretary of Energy to establish a research and development program to accelerate innovation in advanced critical minerals development strategies and technologies
- directs the Secretary of the Interior to identify vulnerabilities in the minerals supply chain and publish and periodically update a list of critical minerals to inform U.S. policy
- establishes a grant program for research, and demonstration projects related to the production of critical minerals at U.S. mining schools and programs.
- directs the U.S.G.S. to complete updated resource assessments for each critical mineral.
- requires that mineral resource assessments are considered in the land management process, and also ensures that large, unilateral mineral withdrawals do not take place without Congressional approval
A legislative summary is available here.
Follow the bill's progress here.