S1463-119

What This Bill Does

Authorizes the Interior Secretary, through USGS, to enter memoranda of understanding with partner foreign countries for critical-mineral and rare-earth mapping, while seeking supply-chain resilience, U.S. or allied right of first refusal for further development, private-sector investment, protected mapping data, State Department concurrence, congressional notice and reports, and private-sector consultation.

Who Benefits and How

USGS mineral mapping staff benefit from authority to cooperate with partner foreign countries on geologic, geophysical, geochemical, spectroscopic, prospectivity, resource-assessment, and derivative map products. Partner foreign countries benefit from mapping assistance, natural-resource management collaboration, capacity building, higher-education training, standards training, and cooperation with U.S. agencies, research centers, universities, and private companies. U.S. mining companies and allied mining companies benefit from a right-of-first-refusal objective for further development of mapped critical minerals and rare earths. Congressional energy, foreign-affairs, natural-resources, and appropriations committees benefit from 30-day notice and MOU reports on partners, scope, activities, estimated costs, and funding sources.

Who Bears the Burden and How

Interior and USGS officials must negotiate MOUs, protect mapping data from unauthorized access by nonparty or nonallied entities, notify Congress before signing, submit implementation reports, obtain State Department concurrence, and consult private-sector actors. State Department staff must concur on partner selection, negotiation, implementation, and use of State funds. Partner-country agencies must share data and coordinate training while managing any domestic political consequences of offering U.S. or allied companies first-refusal opportunities. Nonallied companies and nonparty governments face restricted access to mapping data created under the MOUs.

Key Provisions

• Provides a sense of Congress favoring onshoring critical-mineral processing.
• Defines allied foreign country, critical mineral, partner foreign country, rare earth element, institution of higher education, and the Interior Secretary acting through USGS.
• Authorizes MOUs with partner foreign countries for scientific and technical cooperation in critical-mineral and rare-earth mapping.
• Directs negotiation objectives covering mapping assistance, U.S. or allied right of first refusal, private-sector investment, and protection of mapping data.
• Provides cooperative activities including geoscience data acquisition, mineral assessment, derivative maps, sustainable resource management, training, higher education, standards, and partner-country cooperation.
• Requires 30-day congressional notice and reports plus State Department concurrence and private-sector consultation.
• Preserves existing USGS authorities.