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[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2550 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 2550
To provide for international cooperation to secure critical mineral
supply chains, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
July 30, 2025
Mrs. Shaheen (for herself and Mr. Curtis) introduced the following
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign
Relations
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide for international cooperation to secure critical mineral
supply chains, 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 ``Critical Minerals Partnership Act of
2025''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITION OF CRITICAL MINERAL.
In this Act, the term ``critical mineral''--
(1) has the meaning given the term in section 7002 of the
Energy Act of 2020 (30 U.S.C. 1606); and
(2) includes any other mineral or mineral material
determined by the Secretary of State--
(A) to be essential to the economic or national
security of the United States; and
(B) to have a supply chain vulnerable to
disruption.
SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY ON CRITICAL MINERAL SUPPLY CHAINS.
It is the policy of the United States--
(1) to collaborate with allies and partners of the United
States to build secure and resilient critical minerals supply
chains, including in the mining, processing, reclamation and
recycling, and valuation of critical minerals;
(2) to prioritize the development and production of
critical mineral resources domestically, including through
improvement of systems for collecting and recycling critical
minerals from used and discarded goods or equipment, both to
supply domestic needs and for export to allies and partners
that participate in secure and resilient supply chains for
critical minerals;
(3) to reduce or eliminate reliance and dependence on
critical mineral supply chains controlled by the People's
Republic of China, the Russian Federation, Iran, or any other
adversary of the United States;
(4) to work with allies and partners on enhancing
evaluation capability and technology in trusted countries that
produce critical minerals to avoid the export of critical
minerals, or products or components that are dependent on
critical minerals, that are controlled by adversaries of the
United States;
(5) to identify and implement market-based incentives for
the purposes of facilitating the creation and maintenance of
secure and resilient critical mineral supply chains, including
for reclamation and recycling of critical mineral resources
from waste streams, in collaboration with allies and partners;
(6) to prioritize securing critical mineral supply chains
in United States foreign policy, including through the use of
economic tools to invest responsibly in projects in partner
countries in a manner that both benefits local populations and
bolsters the supply of critical minerals to the United States
and allies and partners of the United States; and
(7) that collaboration with allies and partners to build
secure and resilient critical mineral supply chains shall not
replace United States efforts to increase domestic development
and production or recycling of critical minerals.
SEC. 4. INTERNATIONAL NEGOTIATIONS RELATING TO PROTECTING CRITICAL
MINERAL SUPPLY CHAINS.
(a) In General.--The President is authorized to negotiate an
agreement with international partners for the purposes of establishing
a coalition--
(1) to facilitate--
(A) the mining, processing, recycling, and enhanced
access to the supply of critical minerals; and
(B) advanced manufacturing that relies on the
practical application of critical minerals; and
(2) to secure an adequate supply of critical minerals and
relevant products, manufacturing inputs, and components that
are heavily dependent on critical mineral resource inputs for
the United States and other members of the coalition (in this
section referred to as ``member countries'').
(b) Negotiating Objectives.--The overall objectives for negotiating
an agreement described in subsection (a) should be--
(1) to establish mechanisms for member countries to build
secure and resilient supply chains for critical minerals,
including in--
(A) the mining, refinement, reclamation and
recycling, processing, and valuation of critical
minerals; and
(B) advanced manufacturing of products, components,
and materials that are dependent on critical minerals;
(2) to improve economies of scale and joint cooperation
with international partners in securing access and means of
production throughout the supply chains of critical minerals
and manufacturing processes dependent on critical minerals;
(3) to establish mechanisms, with appropriate market-based
disciplines, that provide and maintain opportunities among
member countries for creating industry economies of scale to
attract joint investment among those countries, including--
(A) cooperation on joint projects, including cost-
sharing on building appropriate infrastructure to
access deposits of critical minerals; and
(B) creation or enhancement of national and
international programs to support the development of
robust industries by providing appropriate sector-
specific incentives, such as political risk and other
insurance opportunities, financing, and other support,
for--
(i) mining and processing critical
minerals;
(ii) manufacturing of products, components,
and materials that are dependent on critical
minerals and are essential to consumer
technology products or have important national
security implications;
(iii) building capacities and creating
incentives for recovering used, spent, or
discarded equipment and consumer goods
containing critical minerals to be safely
handled and recycled; and
(iv) associated transportation needs that
are tailored to the handling, movement, and
logistics management of critical minerals and
products, components, and materials that are
dependent on critical minerals;
(4) to establish market-based rules for member countries
regarding adoption of qualifying tax and other incentives to
stimulate investment, as balanced by market-based disciplines
to ensure a fair playing field among those countries;
(5) to establish recommended best practices to protect--
(A) labor rights;
(B) the natural environment and ecosystems near
critical mineral industrial sites; and
(C) safety of communities near critical mineral
industrial activities;
(6) to advance economic growth in developing countries with
critical mineral reserves and capacities for the recovery and
recycling of critical minerals, including for the benefit of
the citizens of those countries;
(7) to establish rules allowing for the establishment of a
consortium that is resourced and empowered to bid and compete
in acquiring and securing potential deposits of critical
minerals in countries that are not members of the coalition
described in subsection (a) (in this section referred to as
``nonmember countries'');
(8) to establish a mechanism for joint resource mapping
with procedures for equitable sharing of information on
potential deposits of critical minerals not less frequently
than annually;
(9) to establish appropriate mechanisms for the recognition
and enforcement by a member country of judgments relating to
environmental and related harms caused by mining operations
within the territory of the member country in contravention of
that country's laws; and
(10) to improve supply chain security among member
countries by providing for national treatment investment
protections among those countries that are equal to, or better
than, the standards in the United States model bilateral
investment treaty.
(c) Congressional Consultations Required.--In the course of
negotiations described in subsection (a), the Secretary shall consult
closely and on a timely basis with, and keep fully apprised of the
negotiations, the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the
Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives.
SEC. 5. MINERALS SECURITY PARTNERSHIP AUTHORIZATION.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of State, acting through the Under
Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment, is
authorized to lead United States participation in the Minerals Security
Partnership, for the following purposes:
(1) To identify and support investment and advocate for
commercial critical mineral mining, processing, and refining
projects that enable robust and secure critical mineral supply
chains, in consultation with other Federal agencies, as
appropriate.
(2) To coordinate with relevant regional bureaus to develop
regional diplomatic engagement strategies related to critical
minerals projects and to identify projects that are priorities.
(3) To coordinate with United States missions abroad on
projects, programs, and investments that enable robust and
secure critical mineral supply chains.
(4) To coordinate with current and prospective members of
the Minerals Security Partnership.
(5) To establish a mechanism for information-sharing with
members of the Minerals Security Partnership.
(6) To establish policies and procedures, and if necessary,
to provide funding to facilitate cooperation on joint projects
with members of the Minerals Security Partnership and the
Minerals Security Forum, including those related to cost-
sharing agreements, political risk insurance, financing, equity
investments, and other support, in coordination with other
Federal agencies, as appropriate.
(7) If an agreement described in section 4 is entered into,
to support the establishment of the coalition described in that
section.
(b) Database.--As part of the Minerals Security Partnership, the
Secretary, acting through the Under Secretary, is authorized to
establish and maintain a database of critical mineral projects for the
purpose of providing high quality and up-to-date information to the
private sector and, at the discretion of the Under Secretary, to
members of the Minerals Security Partnership, in order to spur greater
investment, increase the resilience of global critical minerals supply
chains, and boost United States supply.
(c) Qualifications for Personnel.--With respect to staffing
personnel to carry out the Minerals Security Partnership, the Secretary
shall prioritize individuals with the following qualifications:
(1) Substantive knowledge and experience in issues related
to critical minerals supply chain and their application to
strategic industries, including in the defense, energy, and
technology sectors.
(2) Substantive knowledge and experience in large-scale
multi-donor project financing and related technical and
diplomatic arrangements, international coalition-building, and
project management.
(3) Substantive knowledge and experience in trade and
foreign policy, defense industrial base policy, or national
security-sensitive supply chain issues.
(d) Private Sector Coordination.--The Secretary shall ensure close
coordination between the Department of State, the private sector, and
relevant civil society groups on the implementation of this section.
(e) Project Selection.--
(1) In general.--The United States, through its
participation in the Minerals Security Partnership, shall
prioritize projects that advance the national and economic
security interests of the United States and allies and partners
of the United States.
(2) Criteria requirements.--The United States should
advocate for the Minerals Security Partnership to use
environmental, social, or governance standards, including as
criteria for project selection, that are consistent with United
States law or international agreements approved by Congress.
SEC. 6. UNITED STATES MEMBERSHIP IN THE INTERNATIONAL NICKEL STUDY
GROUP.
(a) United States Membership.--The President is authorized to
accept the Terms of Reference of and maintain membership of the United
States in the International Nickel Study Group.
(b) Payments of Assessed Contributions.--For fiscal year 2025 and
thereafter, the United States assessed contributions to the
International Nickel Study Group may be paid from funds appropriated
for ``Contributions to International Organizations''.
SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There is authorized to be appropriated to the Department of State
$50,000,000 for fiscal year 2026 to enhance critical mineral supply
chain security, including to implement this Act.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
Committee on Foreign Relations. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
Committee on Foreign Relations. Reported by Senator Risch with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
Committee on Foreign Relations. Reported by Senator Risch with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 239.
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