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.
Bill: H.R.8904 | Sponsor: Rep. Slotkin, Elissa (D-MI)
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
This bill requires the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment of the Department of Defense (DOD) to brief Congress on the feasibility of expanding the cooperation between DOD and allies and partners of the United States regarding critical minerals. Additionally, DOD must submit a strategy for expanding the collaboration between DOD and allies and partners of the United States to strengthen the supply chains for critical minerals and address the risks to such supply chains.

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 Representatives 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 Secretary of Defense for 
Acquisition and Sustainment shall brief the appropriate congressional 
committees on the feasibility of expanding the cooperation of the 
Department 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 minerals to strengthen defense 
                industrial supply chains;
                    (B) prioritize strategic and critical minerals 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 defense 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 adjustments to 
                existing authorities to facilitate strategic and 
                critical mineral sharing agreements with such allies 
                and partners.
            (3) Collaboration agreement requirements.--The agreements 
        described in subparagraphs (A) and (C) of paragraph (2) shall--
                    (A) identify the terms of potential bilateral and 
                multilateral agreements, including processes for 
                information sharing during peacetime 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 industrial base to 
                strategic and critical materials.
    (c) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section may be construed 
as authorizing the Secretary of Defense to transfer or otherwise 
dispose of any strategic and critical mineral contained in the National 
Defense Stockpile that is necessary for the defense industrial base.
    (d) Definitions.--In this Act:
            (1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
        ``appropriate congressional committees'' 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 section 7002(c) of the Energy Act of 2020 (30 
        U.S.C. 1606(c)).
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