mittees’’ means the Committee on Science, Space, 
and Technology of the House of Representatives and 
the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Trans-
portation and the Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources of the Senate. 
(2) CENTER.—The term ‘‘Center’’ means the 
Critical Materials Information Center established 
under section 101(d). 
(3) DEPARTMENT.—The term ‘‘Department’’ 
means the Department of Energy. 
(4) ENERGY
CRITICAL
ELEMENT.—The term 
‘‘energy critical element’’ means any of a class of 
chemical elements that have a high risk of a supply 
disruption and are critical to one or more new, en-
ergy-related technologies such that a shortage of 
such element would significantly inhibit large-scale 
deployment of technologies that produce, transmit, 
store, or conserve energy. 
(5) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The 
term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the 
meaning given such term in section 101(a) of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)). 
(6) PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘program’’ means 
the program authorized in section 101(a). 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:40 Sep 28, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4481.IH
H4481
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
(7) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Energy. 
TITLE I—ENERGY CRITICAL 
ELEMENTS 
SEC. 101. ENERGY CRITICAL ELEMENTS PROGRAM. 
(a) AUTHORIZATION OF PROGRAM.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary shall carry 
out a program of research, development, demonstra-
tion, and commercial application to assure the long- 
term, secure, and sustainable supply of energy crit-
ical elements sufficient to satisfy the national secu-
rity, economic well-being, and industrial production 
needs of the United States. This program may be 
carried out primarily by an Energy Innovation Hub 
established under section 206 of the Department of 
Energy Research Coordination Act (42 U.S.C. 
18632). 
(2) PROGRAM ACTIVITIES.—The program shall 
focus on areas that the private sector by itself is not 
likely to undertake because of technical and financial 
uncertainty and support activities to— 
(A) improve methods for the extraction, 
processing, use, recovery, and recycling of en-
ergy critical elements; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:40 Sep 28, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4481.IH
H4481
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
(B) improve the understanding of the per-
formance, processing, and adaptability in engi-
neering designs using energy critical elements; 
(C) improve the understanding of energy 
critical element supply chains, risks from supply 
disruption, supply restriction, volatility in de-
mand, and difficulty to substitute; 
(D) identify and test alternative materials 
that can be substituted for energy critical ele-
ments and maintain or exceed current perform-
ance; and 
(E) engineer and test applications that— 
(i) use recycled energy critical ele-
ments; 
(ii) use alternative materials; or 
(iii) seek to minimize energy critical 
element content. 
(3) EXPANDING
PARTICIPATION.—In carrying 
out the program, the Secretary shall encourage mul-
tidisciplinary collaborations of participants, including 
opportunities for students and post-doctoral staff at 
institutions of higher education. 
(4) CONSISTENCY.—The program shall be con-
sistent with the policies and programs in the Na-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:40 Sep 28, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4481.IH
H4481
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
tional Materials and Minerals Policy, Research and 
Development Act of 1980 (30 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.). 
(5) INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION.—In car-
rying out the program, the Secretary shall collabo-
rate, to the extent practicable, on activities of mu-
tual interest with the relevant agencies of foreign 
countries with interests relating to energy critical 
elements. 
(b) PLAN.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Within 180 days after the 
date of enactment of this Act and biennially there-
after, the Secretary shall prepare and submit to the 
appropriate Congressional committees a plan to 
carry out the program. 
(2) SPECIFIC
REQUIREMENTS.—The plan re-
quired under paragraph (1) shall include a descrip-
tion of— 
(A) the research and development activities 
to be carried out by the program during the 
subsequent 2 years; 
(B) the expected contributions of the pro-
gram to the creation of innovative methods and 
technologies for the efficient and sustainable 
provision of energy critical elements to the do-
mestic economy; and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:40 Sep 28, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4481.IH
H4481
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
(C) how the program is promoting the 
broadest possible participation by academic, in-
dustrial, and other contributors. 
(3) CONSULTATION.—In preparing each plan 
under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall consult 
with appropriate representatives of industry, institu-
tions of higher education, Department of Energy na-
tional laboratories, professional and technical soci-
eties, other Federal agencies, and other entities, as 
determined by the Secretary. 
(c) COORDINATION AND NONDUPLICATION.—To the 
maximum extent practicable, the Secretary shall ensure 
that the activities carried out under this title are coordi-
nated with, and do not unnecessarily duplicate the efforts 
of, other programs within the Federal Government. 
(d) CRITICAL MATERIALS INFORMATION CENTER.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out the program 
established under section 101, the Secretary shall es-
tablish and maintain a Critical Materials Informa-
tion Center to collect, catalogue, disseminate, and 
archive information on energy critical elements in 
coordination with the Office of Scientific and Tech-
nical Information of the Department of Energy. 
(2) CENTER ACTIVITIES.—The Center shall— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:40 Sep 28, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4481.IH
H4481
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS