Intergovernmental Critical Minerals Task Force Act

Key Points

• This bill creates a new task force to help the United States stop relying on China for critical minerals. These minerals are used in everything from smartphones and electric car batteries to military equipment. Currently, the U.S. gets more than half of its supply for many of these minerals from foreign sources, mostly China.
• The group will include experts from over 20 federal agencies, including the Department of Defense and the Department of Energy. They will work closely with state, local, and tribal governments, as well as mining companies and labor unions. The goal is to make sure all levels of government are working together to secure the supply chain.
• The task force will look for ways to increase mining and recycling here in the U.S. They will also suggest changes to laws or rules that might be slowing down domestic production. This includes finding ways to create good-paying jobs in the American mining and processing industries.
• Besides domestic work, the group will develop strategies to work with friendly countries like those in NATO. By building stronger partnerships with allies, the U.S. hopes to create a more secure global supply chain that does not depend on competitors for essential materials.
• A final report with specific recommendations must be sent to Congress within two years. The bill does not ask for any new taxpayer money to run the task force, meaning agencies will have to use their existing budgets to participate.

Impact Analysis

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