I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8450 

To direct the Secretary of the Interior to evaluate certain minerals for 

designation as critical minerals. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 17, 2024 

Mrs. CAMMACK (for herself and Ms. SLOTKIN) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of the Interior to evaluate certain 

minerals for designation as critical minerals. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Phosphate and Potash 

5 Protection Act of 2024’’. 

6 SEC. 2. EVALUATION OF CERTAIN MINERALS FOR DESIGNA7 TION AS CRITICAL MINERALS. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 30 days after the 

9 date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary, in 

10 consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture, shall evaluVerDate Sep 11 2014 15:29 Jun 29, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8450.IH H8450

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1 ate potash, phosphates, and other minerals necessary for 

2 the production of fertilizer and other agricultural products 

3 used to promote crop development for designation as crit4 ical minerals under section 7002(c)(4) of the Energy Act 

5 of 2020 (30 U.S.C. 1606(c)(4)). 

6 (b) RECOMMENDATIONS.—Not later than 90 days 

7 after the date of the enactment of this section, the Sec8 retary, in consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture, 

9 shall— 

10 (1) evaluate policies in place as of the date of 

11 the enactment of this section related to the permit12 ting and leasing of projects for the exploration, de13 velopment, and production of the minerals described 

14 in subsection (a); and 

15 (2) submit to the appropriate congressional 

16 committees recommendations to support the domes17 tic production of such minerals. 

18 (c) REPORT.—Not later than 90 days after the date 

19 of the enactment of this section, the Secretary, in con20 sultation with the Secretary of Agriculture, shall submit 

21 to the appropriate congressional committees a report re22 garding the evaluation carried out under subsection (a), 

23 including a description of how each mineral described in 

24 subsection (a) does or does not meet each requirement of 

25 the designation methodology to determine the eligibility of 


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1 each such mineral for inclusion on the critical minerals 

2 list. 

3 (d) DESIGNATION.—If, pursuant to the evaluation 

4 carried out under subsection (a), the Secretary, in con5 sultation with the Secretary of Agriculture, determines 

6 that a mineral described in subsection (a) meets each re7 quirement of the designation methodology, the Secretary, 

8 in consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture and not 

9 later than 60 days after the date on which the report re10 quired under subsection (c) is submitted, shall designate 

11 such mineral as a critical mineral under section 

12 7002(c)(4) of the Energy Act of 2020 (30 U.S.C. 

13 1606(c)(4)) and update the critical minerals list accord14 ingly. 

15 (e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

16 (1) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMIT17 TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com18 mittees’’ means— 

19 (A) the Committee on Natural Resources 

20 and the Committee on Agriculture of the House 

21 of Representatives; and 

22 (B) the Committee on Energy and Natural 

23 Resources and the Committee on Agriculture, 

24 Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate. 


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1 (2) CRITICAL MINERAL.—The term ‘‘critical 

2 mineral’’ has the meaning given the term in section 

3 7002(a) of the Energy Act of 2020 (30 U.S.C. 

4 1606(a)). 

5 (3) CRITICAL MINERALS LIST.—The term ‘‘crit6 ical minerals list’’ means the list of critical minerals 

7 published under section 7002(c)(3) of the Energy 

8 Act of 2020 (30 U.S.C. 1606(c)(3)). 

9 (4) DESIGNATION METHODOLOGY.—The term 

10 ‘‘designation methodology’’ means the methodology 

11 published under section 7002(c)(3) of the Energy 

12 Act of 2020 (30 U.S.C. 1606(c)(3)) as of the date 

13 of the enactment of this section. 

14 (5) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

15 the Secretary of the Interior. 

Æ 


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