SEC. 2. ENERGY CRITICAL MATERIAL RECYCLING AND 
REUSE RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, AND DEM-
ONSTRATION PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The United States Energy Stor-
age Competitiveness Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17231) is 
amended by inserting after subsection (p) the following: 
‘‘(q) ENERGY CRITICAL MATERIAL RECYCLING AND 
REUSE RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, AND DEMONSTRA-
TION PROGRAM.— 
‘‘(1) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 
‘‘(A) ELECTRIC
MOTOR
VEHICLE.—The 
term ‘electric motor vehicle’ means a vehicle 
that derives all or part of its power for loco-
motion from electricity and is able to exceed a 
maximum speed of 25 miles per hour without 
any external assistance, including gravity, as 
determined by the Secretary. 
‘‘(B) 
ELECTRONIC
SCRAP.—The 
term 
‘electronic scrap’ means personal electronic 
products near or at the end of their useful life, 
containing embedded energy storage systems, as 
determined by the Secretary. 
‘‘(C) ENERGY CRITICAL MATERIAL.—The 
term ‘energy critical material’ means any of a 
class of chemical materials that have a high 
risk of a supply disruption and are critical to 
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one or more existing or new, energy-related 
technologies such that a substantial supply dis-
ruption of such material would significantly in-
hibit large-scale deployment of technologies that 
produce, transmit, store, or conserve energy. 
‘‘(D) ENERGY
STORAGE
SYSTEM.—The 
term ‘energy storage system’ means a system, 
equipment, facility, or technology that— 
‘‘(i) is capable of absorbing energy, 
storing such energy for a period of time, 
and dispatching such energy after storage; 
and 
‘‘(ii) uses a mechanical, electrical, 
chemical, electrochemical, or thermal proc-
ess to store such energy, or any other proc-
ess that the Secretary determines relevant. 
‘‘(E) LOW-SPEED
ELECTRIC
VEHICLE.— 
The term ‘low-speed electric vehicle’ means a 
vehicle with fewer than four wheels that derives 
all or part of its power for locomotion from 
electricity and is unable to exceed a maximum 
speed of 25 miles per hour without any external 
assistance, including gravity, as determined by 
the Secretary. 
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‘‘(F) RECYCLING.—The term ‘recycling’ 
means the separation of energy critical mate-
rials embedded within an energy storage system 
through physical or chemical means and reuse 
of those separated energy critical materials in 
other technologies. 
‘‘(2) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than one 
year after the date of enactment of this subsection, 
the Secretary shall establish a research, develop-
ment, and demonstration program of recycling of en-
ergy storage systems containing energy critical ma-
terials. 
‘‘(3) RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, AND
DEM-
ONSTRATION.—In carrying out the program, the 
Secretary shall focus research, development, and 
demonstration activities on— 
‘‘(A) technologies, process improvements, 
design optimizations, and methods that improve 
collection, sorting, storage, and transportation 
of energy storage systems for the purposes of 
recycling, including— 
‘‘(i) removal of electronic scrap and 
low-speed electric vehicles from landfill and 
general recycling waste streams; 
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‘‘(ii) extraction of energy storage sys-
tems from electronic scrap and low-speed 
electric vehicles; 
‘‘(iii) extraction, recovery, and reuse 
of energy critical materials from energy 
storage systems; 
‘‘(iv) extraction, recovery, and reuse 
of energy storage systems, and energy crit-
ical materials from energy storage systems, 
within electric motor vehicles; 
‘‘(v) improving the recyclability of en-
ergy storage systems and products con-
taining energy storage systems; and 
‘‘(vi) safe disposal of energy storage 
systems, including waste materials and 
components recovered during the recycling 
process; and 
‘‘(B) research on and analysis of non-tech-
nical barriers to improve the collection and re-
cycling of energy storage systems containing en-
ergy critical materials, including strategies to 
improve consumer education of, acceptance of, 
and participation in, the recycling of energy 
storage systems; and 
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‘‘(C) research on and analysis of tech-
nologies and methods to mitigate environmental 
impacts that arise from recycling energy stor-
age systems, including disposal of toxic re-
agents and byproducts related to recycling proc-
esses. 
‘‘(4) 
ENVIRONMENTAL
STEWARDSHIP.—The 
Secretary shall seek to ensure that any activity re-
ceiving funding under this program— 
‘‘(A) does not release toxic byproducts into 
the environment; 
‘‘(B) sufficiently minimizes potential fire 
risk— 
‘‘(i) in facilities where energy storage 
systems are stored; and 
‘‘(ii) in the transportation of energy 
storage systems; and 
‘‘(C) protects the health and safety of all 
persons involved in or in proximity to such ac-
tivity. 
‘‘(5) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 3 
years after the date of enactment of this subsection, 
and every 3 years thereafter, the Secretary shall 
submit to the Committee on Science, Space, and 
Technology of the House of Representatives and the 
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