Securing Energy Critical Elements and American Jobs Act of 2015

Bill: 114-hr-2687
Sponsor: Rep. Swalwell, Eric [D-CA-15]
Introduced: 2015-06-08 in the House
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Chemistry
Energy efficiency and conservation
Energy research
Energy storage, supplies, demand
Higher education
International organizations and cooperation
Manufacturing
Public-private cooperation
Research administration and funding
Research and development
Technology transfer and commercialization

Summary:
action_date: 2015-06-08
text: 

Securing Energy Critical Elements and American Jobs Act of 2015

 
 Authorizes within the Department of Energy (DOE) a research, development, and commercial application program to assure the long-term, secure, and sustainable supply of energy critical elements to satisfy the national security, economic well-being, and industrial production needs of the United States.
 
(&quot;Energy critical element&quot; 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, energy-related technologies so that a shortage of that element would significantly inhibit large-scale deployment of technologies that produce, transmit, store, or conserve energy.)
 
Requires the program to focus upon areas the private sector by itself is not likely to undertake because of technical and financial uncertainty. 
 
Directs DOE to: (1) encourage multidisciplinary collaborations, including opportunities for students at institutions of higher education; (2) collaborate with agencies of foreign countries with interests relating to energy critical elements; and (3) submit biennially updated implementation plans to Congress. 
 
Authorizes DOE to maintain a Critical Materials Energy Innovation Hub to carry out the program established by this Act.
 
Requires the Hub to establish and maintain a Critical Materials Information Center to collect, catalogue, disseminate, and archive information on energy critical elements in coordination with the DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information.
 
Limits to a renewable period of five years any award made to operate the Hub.
 
Directs the President, acting through the Critical Material Supply Chain Subcommittee of the Committee on Environment, Natural Resources, and Sustainability of the National Science and Technology Council, to: (1) coordinate the actions of federal agencies to promote an adequate and stable supply of energy critical elements; (2) identify energy critical elements and establish scenario modeling systems for supply problems; (3) establish a mechanism for the coordination and evaluation of federal programs with energy critical element needs; and (4) encourage private enterprise in the development of an economically sound and stable domestic energy critical elements supply chain. 
 
Amends the National Materials and Minerals Policy, Research and Development Act of 1980 to: (1) instruct the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy to coordinate federal materials research and development through the National Science and Technology Council (instead of, as currently required, the Federal Coordinating Council for Science, Engineering, and Technology, which is now defunct); (2) modify the duties of the Secretary of Commerce regarding critical needs assessment; and (3) repeal specified duties of the Secretaries of Defense and of the Interior.
 
Repeals the National Critical Materials Act of 1984.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-08-18
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy.
action_date: 2015-06-08
text: Referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
action_date: 2015-06-08
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2015-06-08
text: Introduced in House