H.R. 10681: National Critical Minerals Council Act

This bill would create a new White House-based body called the

National Critical Minerals Council

to help coordinate federal policy on critical minerals and critical materials. These are materials that are important for energy, industry, and national defense, and the bill says the goal is to strengthen the U.S. supply of them.

What the council would do

The council would be set up inside the Executive Office of the President and would be responsible for helping develop and carry out a national strategy for critical minerals and materials. Its main aims would be to:

• coordinate federal efforts related to critical minerals and materials,
• reduce dependence on foreign sources, especially foreign adversaries,
• support domestic mining, processing, reuse, and recycling, and
• reduce weak points in supply chains where a single disruption could cause shortages.

How it would be organized

The council would be co-chaired by the Secretary of the Interior (or a designee), the National Security Advisor (or a designee), and the Director of the National Economic Council (or a designee). The bill also calls for a Chief Minerals Advisor to be named within 180 days. That advisor would handle day-to-day operations, oversee staff, and act as the council’s main staff leader.

The council’s membership would include representatives from many federal agencies, such as the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Energy, Interior, Labor, State, Treasury, and others, including the Office of Science and Technology Policy, the National Security Council, and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.

What it would be required to do

The council would have several specific duties, including:

• coordinating federal policy guidance on critical minerals and materials;
• helping align agency budget requests with the national strategy;
• identifying conflicting or duplicative federal policies and recommending ways to harmonize them;
• tracking investments by China and other foreign entities of concern in mining and critical mineral projects;
• helping the U.S. present itself as a preferred partner for critical mineral projects compared with foreign rivals;
• tracking agreements with allied countries involving financing, workforce support, and innovation;
• supporting responsible domestic production of critical minerals and materials;
• reviewing whether major federal decisions could affect supply chains for these materials;
• consulting with universities, national labs, private industry, nonprofits, Tribes, and investors;
• coordinating research, development, investment, and commercialization funding across agencies;
• creating a central platform showing funding opportunities for private entities; and
• maintaining a public digital dashboard that tracks projects and data across federal agencies.

Reports to Congress

Within one year of enactment, the advisor would have to submit a report to relevant congressional committees describing the council, outlining a national critical minerals strategy, and providing an implementation plan with benchmarks. After that, the advisor would give annual briefings on progress and any updates to the strategy.

Relevant Companies

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