IB 
Union Calendar No. 423 
112TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4402 
[Report No. 112–583, Part I] 
To require the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture 
to more efficiently develop domestic sources of the minerals and mineral 
materials of strategic and critical importance to United States economic 
and national security and manufacturing competitiveness. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 19, 2012 
Mr. AMODEI introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on the 
Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdic-
tion of the committee concerned 
JULY 9, 2012 
Additional sponsors: Mr. GOSAR, Mr. HECK, Mr. LONG, Mr. JONES, Mr. CON-
AWAY, Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio, Mr. BENISHEK, Mrs. MCMORRIS ROD-
GERS, Mr. BISHOP of Utah, Mr. TIPTON, Mr. COBLE, Mr. LABRADOR, 
Mr. FRANKS of Arizona, Mr. YOUNG of Alaska, Mr. GARDNER, Mr. REH-
BERG, Mrs. LUMMIS, Mr. PEARCE, Mr. SOUTHERLAND, Mr. LAMBORN, 
Mr. FLAKE, Mr. LUETKEMEYER, Mr. HARRIS, Mr. MATHESON, Mr. 
COFFMAN of Colorado, Mr. STIVERS, and Mr. MCCLINTOCK 
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JULY 9, 2012 
Reported from the Committee on Natural Resources with an amendment 
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 
JULY 9, 2012 
The Committee on the Judiciary discharged; committed to the Committee of 
the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed 
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on April 19, 2012] 
A BILL 
To require the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary 
of Agriculture to more efficiently develop domestic 
sources of the minerals and mineral materials of strategic 
and critical importance to United States economic and 
national security and manufacturing competitiveness. 
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Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Strategic and 
Critical Minerals Production Act of 2012’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) The industrialization of China and India 
has driven demand for nonfuel mineral commodities, 
sparking a period of resource nationalism exemplified 
by China’s reduction in exports of rare-earth elements 
necessary for telecommunications, military tech-
nologies, healthcare technologies, and conventional 
and renewable energy technologies. 
(2) The availability of minerals and mineral 
materials are essential for economic growth, national 
security, technological innovation, and the manufac-
turing and agricultural supply chain. 
(3) The exploration, production, processing, use, 
and recycling of minerals contribute significantly to 
the economic well-being, security and general welfare 
of the Nation. 
(4) The United States has vast mineral re-
sources, but is becoming increasingly dependent upon 
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foreign sources of these mineral materials, as dem-
onstrated by the following: 
(A) Twenty-five years ago the United States 
was dependent on foreign sources for 30 nonfuel 
mineral materials, 6 of which the United States 
imported 100 percent of the Nation’s require-
ments, and for another 16 commodities the 
United States imported more than 60 percent of 
the Nation’s needs. 
(B) By 2011 the United States import de-
pendence for nonfuel mineral materials had more 
than doubled from 30 to 67 commodities, 19 of 
which the United States imported 100 percent of 
the Nation’s requirements, and for another 24 
commodities, imported more than 50 percent of 
the Nation’s needs. 
(C) The United States share of world wide 
mineral exploration dollars was 8 percent in 
2011, down from 19 percent in the early 1990s. 
(D) In the 2012 Ranking of Countries for 
Mining Investment, out of 25 major mining 
countries, the United States ranked last with 
Papua New Guinea in permitting delays, and 
towards the bottom regarding government take 
and social issues affecting mining. 
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SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) STRATEGIC AND CRITICAL MINERALS.—The 
term ‘‘strategic and critical minerals’’ means min-
erals that are necessary— 
(A) for national defense and national secu-
rity requirements; 
(B) for the Nation’s energy infrastructure, 
including pipelines, refining capacity, electrical 
power generation and transmission, and renew-
able energy production; 
(C) to support domestic manufacturing, ag-
riculture, 
housing, 
telecommunications, 
healthcare, and transportation infrastructure; 
and 
(D) for the Nation’s economic security and 
balance of trade. 
(2) AGENCY.—The term ‘‘agency’’ means any 
agency, department, or other unit of Federal, State, 
local, or tribal government, or Alaska Native Cor-
poration. 
(3) MINERAL EXPLORATION OR MINE PERMIT.— 
The term ‘‘mineral exploration or mine permit’’ in-
cludes plans of operation issued by the Bureau of 
Land Management and the Forest Service pursuant 
to 43 CFR 3809 and 36 CFR 228A respectively. 
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