sources deployed to execute the responsibilities described 
in paragraph (b). 
(d) ANNUAL REPORT.—Not later than one year after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually there-
after for three years, the Assistant Secretary shall submit 
to Congress a report on the United States international 
energy strategy and the actions taken by the Bureau to 
fulfill such strategy. 
SEC. 302. BUREAU OF ENERGY SECURITY AND DIPLOMACY. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall establish 
a Bureau of Energy Security and Diplomacy, which shall 
perform such functions related to the formulation and im-
plementation of international energy, energy technology, 
critical minerals, and relevant supply chain policies, as the 
Under Secretary for Economic Affairs may prescribe. 
(b) ASSISTANT SECRETARY.—The Assistant Sec-
retary shall be the head of the Bureau. 
(c) BUREAU EMPLOYMENT.— 
(1) TEMPORARY EXPEDITED HIRING AUTHORI-
TIES.—For a period of one year beginning on the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
may— 
(A) appoint employees to the Bureau 
whose expertise aligns with the responsibilities 
listed in section 301(b) without regard to the 
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provisions of title 5, United States Code, re-
garding appointments in the competitive serv-
ice; and 
(B) fix the basic compensation of such em-
ployees without regard to chapter 51 and sub-
chapter III of chapter 53 of such title regarding 
classification and General Schedule pay rates. 
(2) PRIORITY APPOINTMENTS.—The Secretary 
shall prioritize the appointment of employees to the 
Bureau— 
(A) who were separated from employment 
with the Bureau of Energy and Natural Re-
sources in 2025 as a result of a reduction in 
force; and 
(B) whose expertise aligns with the respon-
sibilities listed in section 301(b). 
(d) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that the Assistant Secretary should be a standing 
participant in the Investment Committee or any other 
interagency working group established at or chaired by the 
White House National Security Council or National Eco-
nomic Dominance Council to coordinate and implement 
United States policy regarding international critical min-
eral and energy supply chain diversification. 
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SEC. 303. CRITICAL MINERAL MINING FELLOWSHIP PRO-
GRAM. 
The Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act 
of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2451 et seq.) is amended by adding 
at the end the following: 
‘‘SEC. 116. CRITICAL MINERAL MINING FELLOWSHIP PRO-
GRAM. 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is authorized to be es-
tablished the Critical Mineral Mining Fellowship Program 
(referred to in this section as the ‘Fellowship Program’) 
within the J. William Fulbright Educational Exchange 
Program. 
‘‘(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of the Fellowship 
Program are— 
‘‘(1) to advance foreign policy priorities of the 
United States by promoting studies, research, and 
international exchange in the mining industry; 
‘‘(2) to send United States citizens who are en-
rolled in or have received a degree from an accred-
ited postsecondary institution in the United States 
to mining institutions in foreign countries, in order 
to build the capacity of the United States mining 
workforce; 
‘‘(3) to develop a robust and skilled workforce 
that can support and fill the gaps within the United 
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States’ growing domestic critical mineral supply 
chain; and 
‘‘(4) to reduce dependency on foreign energy 
and critical mineral supplies and enhance competi-
tiveness of the United States within the global crit-
ical mineral marketplace. 
‘‘(c) ADMINISTRATION.—The Bureau of Educational 
and Cultural Affairs of the Department of State (referred 
to in this section as the ‘Bureau’) shall administer the Fel-
lowship Program in accordance with policy guidelines es-
tablished by the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board (re-
ferred to in this section as the ‘Board’), in consultation 
with binational Fulbright Commissions, mining industry 
leaders, institutions of higher education, governments of 
foreign countries, and United States Embassies in the for-
eign countries described in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of 
subsection (d)(4). 
‘‘(d) SELECTION OF FELLOWS.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Board shall select 
qualified individuals to participate in the Fellowship 
Program and ensure a broad geographic representa-
tion in order to develop region-specific specialties. 
‘‘(2) NUMBER OF FELLOWS.—The Bureau shall 
determine the number of fellows selected each year. 
‘‘(3) CRITERIA FOR FELLOWS.— 
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‘‘(A) PARTICIPATION
REQUIREMENTS.— 
Each fellow shall— 
‘‘(i) have a conferred bachelor’s or 
equivalent degree before the start of the 
Fellowship Program period; 
‘‘(ii) be a student currently enrolled in 
an institution of higher education in the 
United States completing an advanced de-
gree in science, technology, engineering, 
mathematics, or a field relating to the min-
ing industry; or 
‘‘(iii) 
have 
had 
a 
conferred 
postdoctoral degree for not longer than five 
years before the start of the Fellowship 
Program period. 
‘‘(B) POST-COMPLETION REQUIREMENT.— 
Upon completion of the Fellowship Program, 
demonstrate intent to seek employment in a 
mining profession that directly benefits the 
growth, progress, and development of the min-
ing industry in the United States Government, 
an academic institution, a private sector com-
pany, or any organization approved by the Bu-
reau. 
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