National Strategic and Critical Minerals Policy Act of 2011 - (Sec. 3) Declares that it is the continuing policy of the United States to promote an adequate and stable supply of minerals to maintain the nation's economic well-being, security, and manufacturing, industrial, energy, agricultural, and technological capabilities.
(Sec. 4) Directs the Secretary of the Interior, through the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Geological Survey (Survey), to report to Congress: (1) an inventory of the nonfossil-fuel mineral potential of lands under BLM and U.S. Forest Service jurisdiction; (2) an identification of all such lands that have been withdrawn, segregated, or otherwise restricted from mineral exploration and development; (3) a detailed description of the time required to process mineral applications, operating plans, leases, licenses, permits, and other use authorizations for mineral-related activities on lands; (4) an itemized list of all use authorizations for which applications are pending; (5) an assessment of the impact of litigation on the processing or issuing of permits; (6) an assessment of the federal workforce with educational degrees and expertise in economic geology, geochemistry, mining, industrial minerals, metallurgy, metallurgical engineering, and mining engineering; and (7) an inventory of rare earth element potential on federal lands, and impediments to or restrictions on the exploration or development of those rare earth elements, with recommendations to lift the impediments or restrictions while maintaining environmental safeguards.
Requires progress reports to Congress on: (1) efforts to increase access to domestic supplies of minerals, and facilitation of their production; (2) implementation of recommendations in National Research Council reports on "Minerals, Critical Minerals, and the U.S. Economy" and on "Managing Minerals for a Twenty-First Century Military"; (3) the Department of Energy Critical Minerals Strategy I and II; and (4) a specified Department of Defense assessment and plan for critical rare earth elements in defense applications.
(Sec. 5) Directs the Survey, for the first National Mineral Assessment conducted after enactment of this Act, to include mineral assessments for mineral commodities important to the nation's energy infrastructure, manufacturing and agricultural industries, and to the national defense. Urges priority be given to minerals that are critical based on the impact of a potential supply restriction and the likelihood of a supply restriction.
(Sec. 6) Directs the Survey to expand the current Global Mineral Assessment to include mineral assessments for rare earth elements and other minerals that are critical based on the impact of a potential supply restriction and the likelihood of a supply restriction.
Requires such assessments to include an analysis, developed with participation by the National Minerals Information Center, of the rare earth elements or other critical minerals supply chain and associated processes and products, including mining, processing, recycling, separation, metal production, alloy production, and manufacturing of products sold to end users.
[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2011 Introduced in House (IH)]
112th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2011
To require the Secretary of the Interior to conduct an assessment of
the capability of the Nation to meet our current and future demands for
the minerals critical to United States manufacturing competitiveness
and economic and national security in a time of expanding resource
nationalism, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 26, 2011
Mr. Lamborn (for himself, Mr. Hastings of Washington, Mr. Gohmert, Mr.
Bishop of Utah, Mr. Fleming, Mr. McClintock, Mr. Thompson of
Pennsylvania, Mr. Rivera, Mr. Gosar, Mr. Tipton, Mr. Harris, Mr.
Fleischmann, Mr. Benishek, Mr. Johnson of Ohio, Mr. Boren, Mr. Simpson,
Mr. Gallegly, Mrs. Lummis, Mrs. McMorris Rodgers, Mr. Matheson, Mr.
Young of Alaska, and Mr. Duncan of Tennessee) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Secretary of the Interior to conduct an assessment of
the capability of the Nation to meet our current and future demands for
the minerals critical to United States manufacturing competitiveness
and economic and national security in a time of expanding resource
nationalism, 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. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``National Strategic and Critical
Minerals Policy Act of 2011''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds that--
(1) the availability of minerals and metals is essential
for economic growth, national security, technological
innovation, and the manufacturing supply chain;
(2) the exploration, production, processing, use, and
recycling of minerals contribute significantly to the economic
well-being, security, and general welfare of the Nation;
(3) the industrialization of China and India has driven
demand for nonfuel mineral commodities, sparking a period of
resource nationalism exemplified by China's reduction and
stoppage of exports of rare-earth mineral elements necessary
for telecommunications, military technologies, medical devices,
and renewable energy technologies;
(4) the United States has vast mineral resources but is
becoming increasingly dependent upon foreign sources;
(5) 25 years ago the United States was dependent on foreign
sources for 30 nonfuel mineral materials, 6 of which were
entirely imported to meet the Nation's requirements and another
16 of which were imported to meet more than 60 percent of the
Nation's needs;
(6) by 2010, United States import dependence for nonfuel
mineral materials more than doubled from 30 to 67 commodities,
18 commodities were imported entirely to meet the Nation's
requirements, and another 25 commodities required imports of
more than 50 percent;
(7) it is essential to the national interest to ensure an
expanding and competitive manufacturing industry built upon a
healthy mining and minerals industry;
(8) attracting investment necessary to maintain a
competitive and growing mining industry requires a fair,
predictable, and efficient regulatory framework;
(9) the United States lacks a coherent national policy to
assure the availability of minerals essential to manufacturing,
national economic well-being and security, and global economic
competitiveness; and
(10) the Nation's ability to compete and innovate requires
proper planning and preparation today to meet tomorrow's
mineral needs.
SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL DECLARATION OF POLICY.
(a) In General.--It is the continuing policy of the United States
to promote an adequate and stable supply of minerals to maintain our
Nation's economic well-being, security, and manufacturing, industrial,
energy, and technological capabilities.
(b) Policy Goals.--Implementation of the policy set forth in
subsection (a) requires that the Federal Government coordinate the
Federal departments and agencies responsible for ensuring that supply,
to--
(1) facilitate the availability, development, and
production of domestic mineral resources to meet national
needs, including the demands of the Nation's manufacturing
industry;
(2) promote and encourage the development of economically
sound and stable domestic mining, minerals, metals, and
processing industries;
(3) establish an assessment capability for identifying the
mineral demands, supply, and needs of our Nation; and
(4) minimize duplication, needless paperwork, and delays in
the administration of Federal and State laws and regulations,
and issuance of permits and authorizations necessary to
explore, develop, and produce minerals and construct and
operate mineral-related facilities.
SEC. 4. SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR REPORT ON ACCESS AND AUTHORIZATIONS
FOR MINERAL DEVELOPMENT.
(a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior, through the
Bureau of Land Management and the United States Geological Survey, and
in consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture (through the Forest
Service Mineral and Geology Management Division), the Secretary of
Defense, the Secretary of Commerce, and the heads of other appropriate
Federal agencies, shall prepare, submit to Congress, and make available
to the public a report that includes--
(1) an assessment of the non-fossil-fuel mineral potential
of lands under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land
Management and the Forest Service and an identification of all
such lands that have been withdrawn, segregated, or otherwise
restricted from mineral exploration and development;
(2) an assessment of--
(A) the mineral requirements to meet current and
emerging national security, economic, industrial
manufacturing, technological, and social needs;
(B) the Nation's reliance on foreign sources to
meet those needs; and
(C) the implications of mineral supply shortages or
disruptions;
(3) a detailed description of the time required to process
mineral applications, operating plans, leases, licenses,
permits, and other use authorizations for mineral-related
activities on lands under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of
Land Management and the Forest Service, and identification of
measures that would streamline the processing of such
applications, such as elimination of overlapping requirements
or set deadlines;
(4) an itemized list of all use authorizations referred to
in paragraph (3) for which applications are pending before the
Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service, and the
length of time each of those applications has been pending;
(5) an assessment of the impact of litigation on processing
or issuing mineral exploration and mine permits, identification
of the statutes the litigation was brought under, and the cost
to the agency or the Federal Government, including for payments
of attorney fees;
(6) an update of the 2009 Economic Impact of the Department
of the Interior's Programs and Activities report to include
locatable minerals; and
(7) an assessment of the Federal workforce with educational
degrees and expertise in economic geology, geochemistry,
mining, industrial minerals, metallurgy, metallurgical
engineering, and mining engineering, including--
(A) retirement eligibility and agency plans for
retention, recruitment, and succession planning;
(B) comparison of the existing Federal salaries and
recruitment and retention bonuses with the salaries,
recruitment incentives, and retention packages normally
offered in the mineral industry; and
(C) examination of the differences between Federal
and private financial packages for early-, mid-, and
late-career workers.
(b) Progress Reports.--Not later than one year after the date of
enactment of this Act, and each year thereafter for the following two
years, the Secretary of the Interior shall submit to Congress and make
available to the public a report that describes the progress made in
reaching the policy goals described in section 3(b), including--
(1) efforts to increase access to domestic supplies of
minerals, and facilitation of their production; and
(2) implementation of recommendations contained in--
(A) the National Research Council reports--
(i) Minerals, Critical Minerals, and the
U.S. Economy; and
(ii) Managing Minerals for a Twenty-First
Century Military; and
(B) the current workforce study authorized in
sections 385 and 1830 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005
(119 Stat. 744, 1137).
SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF FUNDS.
There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of the
Interior to carry out this Act $1,000,000 for fiscal years 2012 and
2013.
SEC. 6. APPLICABILITY OF OTHER STATUTORY MINING POLICIES.
Nothing in this Act shall be construed as affecting any provision
of or requirement under the Mining and Minerals Policy Act of 1970 (30
U.S.C. 21a).
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources.
Subcommittee Hearings Held.
Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources Discharged.
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Unanimous Consent.
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 112-248.
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 112-248.
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 164.
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