I 
117TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 8904 
To require the Secretary of Defense to develop a strategy for further collabo-
rating with allies and partners of the United States regarding access 
to strategic and critical minerals, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 19, 2022 
Ms. SLOTKIN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Armed 
Services, 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 
A BILL 
To require the Secretary of Defense to develop a strategy 
for further collaborating with allies and partners of the 
United States regarding access to strategic and critical 
minerals, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. STRATEGY ON FURTHER COLLABORATING 
WITH ALLIES AND PARTNERS FOR ACCESS TO 
STRATEGIC AND CRITICAL MINERALS. 
(a) FEASIBILITY BRIEFING.—Not later than 90 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Under 
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Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment 
shall brief the appropriate congressional committees on 
the feasibility of expanding the cooperation of the Depart-
ment of Defense with the allies and partners of the United 
States regarding critical minerals, including shared access 
to sources of such minerals, facilities for processing such 
minerals, and stockpiles of such minerals. 
(b) COLLABORATION STRATEGY.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 270 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, in line 
with section 3(b)(iii) of Executive Order 14017 (86 
Fed. Reg. 11849; relating to America’s supply 
chain), the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the 
appropriate congressional committees a strategy for 
expanding the collaboration of the Department of 
Defense with the allies and partners of the United 
States to strengthen the supply chains for critical 
minerals and address the risks to such supply 
chains. 
(2) ELEMENTS.—The strategy required by 
paragraph (1) shall— 
(A) identify key allies and partners of the 
United States with which the Department of 
Defense may seek to enter into bilateral and 
multilateral agreements on access to critical 
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minerals to strengthen defense industrial supply 
chains; 
(B) prioritize strategic and critical min-
erals that are essential for national defense and 
of which such allies and partners maintain large 
stocks; 
(C) assess opportunities for regional and 
multilateral agreements regarding access to 
strategic 
and 
critical 
minerals, 
including 
prioritizing mining, processing, and refining of 
strategic and critical minerals for national de-
fense purposes; 
(D) review the authorities under which the 
Department of Defense may enter into strategic 
and critical mineral sharing agreements; and 
(E) provide recommendations for adjust-
ments to existing authorities to facilitate stra-
tegic and critical mineral sharing agreements 
with such allies and partners. 
(3) COLLABORATION
AGREEMENT
REQUIRE-
MENTS.—The agreements described in subpara-
graphs (A) and (C) of paragraph (2) shall— 
(A) identify the terms of potential bilateral 
and multilateral agreements, including proc-
esses for information sharing during peacetime 
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and mechanisms for expediting the sharing of 
strategic and critical minerals during crisis and 
conflict scenarios; and 
(B) in a crisis or conflict scenario, 
prioritize the access of the domestic defense in-
dustrial base to strategic and critical materials. 
(c) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this sec-
tion may be construed as authorizing the Secretary of De-
fense to transfer or otherwise dispose of any strategic and 
critical mineral contained in the National Defense Stock-
pile that is necessary for the defense industrial base. 
(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this Act: 
(1) APPROPRIATE
CONGRESSIONAL
COMMIT-
TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com-
mittees’’ means the Committees on Armed Services 
of the Senate and the House of Representatives. 
(2) STRATEGIC AND CRITICAL MINERALS.—The 
term ‘‘strategic and critical minerals’’ means any 
mineral, element, substance, or material designated 
as critical by the Secretary of the Interior under sec-
tion 7002(c) of the Energy Act of 2020 (30 U.S.C. 
1606(c)). 
Æ 
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