,,ii #aafth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #acag ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,may #b1 #bjai,ms4 ,murkowski 7for herself1 ,mr4 ,manchin1 ,mr4 ,sullivan1 and ,ms4 ,mc,sally7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,energy and ,natural ,resources ,a ,,bill ,to facilitate the availability1 development1 and environmentally responsible production of domestic resources to meet national material or critical mineral needs1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,american ,mineral ,security ,act4 #b4 ,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7 ,critical mineral 7,a7 ,in general ,the term critical mineral means any mineral1 element1 substance1 or material designated as critical by the ,secretary under section #d4 7,b7 ,exclusions ,the term critical mineral does not include-- 7i7 fuel minerals1 including oil1 natural gas1 or any other fossil fuels2 or 7ii7 water1 ice1 or snow4 7#b7 ,critical mineral manufacturing ,the term critical mineral manufacturing means-- 7,a7 the exploration1 development1 mining1 production1 processing1 refining1 alloying1 separation1 concentration1 magnetic sintering1 melting1 or beneficiation of critical minerals within the ,united ,states2 7,b7 the fabrication1 assembly1 or production1 within the ,united ,states1 of equipment1 components1 or other goods with energy technology-1 defense-1 agriculture-1 consumer electronics-1 or health care-related applications2 or 7,c7 any other value-added1 manufacturing-related use of critical minerals undertaken within the ,united ,states4 7#c7 ,indian tribe ,the term ,indian tribe has the meaning given the term in section #d of the ,indian ,self-,determination and ,education ,assistance ,act 7#be ,u4,s4,c4 #ecjd74 7#d7 ,secretary ,the term ,secretary means the ,secretary of the ,interior4 7#e7 ,state ,the term ,state means-- 7,a7 a ,state2 7,b7 the ,district of ,columbia2 7,c7 the ,commonwealth of ,puerto ,rico2 7,d7 ,guam2 7,e7 ,american ,samoa2 7,f7 the ,commonwealth of the ,northern ,mariana ,islands2 and 7,g7 the ,united ,states ,virgin ,islands4 #c4 ,policy 7a7 ,in general ,section #c of the ,national ,materials and ,minerals ,policy1 ,research and ,development ,act of #aihj 7#cj ,u4,s4,c4 #afjb7 is amended in the second sentence-- 7#a7 by striking paragraph 7#c7 and inserting the following3 7#c7 establish an analytical and forecasting capability for identifying critical mineral demand1 supply1 and other factors to allow informed actions to be taken to avoid supply shortages1 mitigate price volatility1 and prepare for demand growth and other market shifts2 2 7#b7 in paragraph 7#f71 by striking and after the semicolon at the end2 and 7#c7 by striking paragraph 7#g7 and inserting the following3 7#g7 facilitate the availability1 development1 and environmentally responsible production of domestic resources to meet national material or critical mineral needs2 7#h7 avoid duplication of effort1 prevent unnecessary paperwork1 and minimize delays in the administration of applicable laws 7including regulations7 and the issuance of permits and authorizations necessary to explore for1 develop1 and produce critical minerals and to construct critical mineral manufacturing facilities in accordance with applicable environmental and land management laws2 7#i7 strengthen-- 7,a7 educational and research capabilities at not lower than the secondary school level2 and 7,b7 workforce training for exploration and development of critical minerals and critical mineral manufacturing2 7#aj7 bolster international cooperation through technology transfer1 information sharing1 and other means2 7#aa7 promote the efficient production1 use1 and recycling of critical minerals2 7#ab7 develop alternatives to critical minerals2 and 7#ac7 establish contingencies for the production of1 or access to1 critical minerals for which viable sources do not exist within the ,united ,states4 4 7b7 ,conforming amendment ,section #b7;b7 of the ,national ,materials and ,minerals ,policy1 ,research and ,development ,act of #aihj 7#cj ,u4,s4,c4 #afja7;b77 is amended by striking 7b7 ,as used in this ,act1 the term and inserting the following3 7b7 ,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7 ,critical mineral ,the term critical mineral means any mineral1 element1 substance1 or material designated as critical by the ,secretary under section #d of the ,american ,mineral ,security ,act4 7#b7 ,materials ,the term 4 #d4 ,critical mineral designations 7a7 ,draft methodology and list ,the ,secretary1 acting through the ,director of the ,united ,states ,geological ,survey 7referred to in this section as the ,secretary71 shall publish in the ,federal ,register for public comment-- 7#a7 a description of the draft methodology used to identify a draft list of critical minerals2 and 7#b7 a draft list of minerals1 elements1 substances1 and materials that qualify as critical minerals4 7b7 ,availability of data ,if available data is insufficient to provide a quantitative basis for the methodology developed under this section1 qualitative evidence may be used to the extent necessary4 7c7 ,final methodology and list ,after reviewing public comments on the draft methodology and the draft list of critical minerals published under subsection 7a7 and updating the methodology and list as appropriate1 not later than #de days after the date on which the public comment period with respect to the draft methodology and draft list closes1 the ,secretary shall publish in the ,federal ,register-- 7#a7 a description of the final methodology for determining which minerals1 elements1 substances1 and materials qualify as critical minerals2 and 7#b7 the final list of critical minerals4 7d7 ,designations 7#a7 ,in general ,for purposes of carrying out this section1 the ,secretary shall maintain a list of minerals1 elements1 substances1 and materials designated as critical1 pursuant to the final methodology published under subsection 7c71 that the ,secretary determines-- 7,a7 are essential to the economic or national security of the ,united ,states2 7,b7 the supply chain of which is vulnerable to disruption 7including restrictions associated with foreign political risk1 abrupt demand growth1 military conflict1 violent unrest1 anti-competitive or protectionist behaviors1 and other risks throughout the supply chain72 and 7,c7 serve an essential function in the manufacturing of a product 7including energy technology-1 defense-1 currency-1 agriculture-1 consumer electronics-1 and health care-related applications71 the absence of which would have significant consequences for the economic or national security of the ,united ,states4 7#b7 ,inclusions ,notwithstanding the criteria under subsection 7c71 the ,secretary may designate and include on the list any mineral1 element1 substance1 or material determined by another ,federal agency to be strategic and critical to the defense or national security of the ,united ,states4 7#c7 ,required consultation ,the ,secretary shall consult with the ,secretaries of ,defense1 ,commerce1 ,agriculture1 and ,energy and the ,united ,states ,trade ,representative in designating minerals1 elements1 substances1 and materials as critical under this subsection4 7e7 ,subsequent review 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary1 in consultation with the ,secretaries of ,defense1 ,commerce1 ,agriculture1 and ,energy and the ,united ,states ,trade ,representative1 shall review the methodology and list under subsection 7c7 and the designations under subsection 7d7 at least every #c years1 or more frequently as the ,secretary considers to be appropriate4 7#b7 ,revisions ,subject to subsection 7d77#a71 the ,secretary may-- 7,a7 revise the methodology described in this section2 7,b7 determine that minerals1 elements1 substances1 and materials previously determined to be critical minerals are no longer critical minerals2 and 7,c7 designate additional minerals1 elements1 substances1 or materials as critical minerals4 7f7 ,notice ,on finalization of the methodology and the list under subsection 7c71 or any revision to the methodology or list under subsection 7e71 the ,secretary shall submit to ,congress written notice of the action4 #e4 ,resource assessment 7a7 ,in general ,not later than #d years after the date of enactment of this ,act1 in consultation with applicable ,state 7including geological surveys71 local1 academic1 industry1 and other entities1 the ,secretary shall complete a comprehensive national assessment of each critical mineral that-- 7#a7 identifies and quantifies known critical mineral resources1 using all available public and private information and datasets1 including exploration histories2 and 7#b7 provides a quantitative and qualitative assessment of undiscovered critical mineral resources throughout the ,united ,states1 including probability estimates of tonnage and grade1 using all available public and private information and datasets1 including exploration histories4 7b7 ,supplementary information ,in carrying out this section1 the ,secretary may carry out surveys and field work 7including drilling1 remote sensing1 geophysical surveys1 topographical and geological mapping1 and geochemical sampling and analysis7 to supplement existing information and datasets available for determining the existence of critical minerals in the ,united ,states4 7c7 ,public access ,subject to applicable law1 to the maximum extent practicable1 the ,secretary shall make all data and metadata collected from the comprehensive national assessment carried out under subsection 7a7 publically and electronically accessible4 7d7 ,technical assistance ,at the request of the ,governor of a ,state or the head of an ,indian tribe1 the ,secretary may provide technical assistance to ,state governments and ,indian tribes conducting critical mineral resource assessments on non-,federal land4 7e7 ,prioritization 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary may sequence the completion of resource assessments for each critical mineral such that critical minerals considered to be most critical under the methodology established under section #d are completed first4 7#b7 ,reporting ,during the period beginning not later than #a year after the date of enactment of this ,act and ending on the date of completion of all of the assessments required under this section1 the ,secretary shall submit to ,congress on an annual basis an interim report that-- 7,a7 identifies the sequence and schedule for completion of the assessments if the ,secretary sequences the assessments2 or 7,b7 describes the progress of the assessments if the ,secretary does not sequence the assessments4 7f7 ,updates ,the ,secretary may periodically update the assessments conducted under this section based on-- 7#a7 the generation of new information or datasets by the ,federal ,government2 or 7#b7 the receipt of new information or datasets from critical mineral producers1 ,state geological surveys1 academic institutions1 trade associations1 or other persons4 7g7 ,additional surveys ,the ,secretary shall complete a resource assessment for each additional mineral or element subsequently designated as a critical mineral under section #d7;e77#b7 not later than #b years after the designation of the mineral or element4 7h7 ,report ,not later than #b years after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary shall submit to ,congress a report describing the status of geological surveying of ,federal land for any mineral commodity-- 7#a7 for which the ,united ,states was dependent on a foreign country for more than #be percent of the ,united ,states supply1 as depicted in the report issued by the ,united ,states ,geological ,survey entitled ,mineral ,commodity ,summaries #bjai2 but 7#b7 that is not designated as a critical mineral under section #d4 #f4 ,permitting 7a7 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of ,congress that-- 7#a7 critical minerals are fundamental to the economy1 competitiveness1 and security of the ,united ,states2 7#b7 to the maximum extent practicable1 the critical mineral needs of the ,united ,states should be satisfied by minerals responsibly produced and recycled in the ,united ,states2 and 7#c7 the ,federal permitting process has been identified as an impediment to mineral production and the mineral security of the ,united ,states4 7b7 ,performance improvements ,to improve the quality and timeliness of decisions1 the ,secretary 7acting through the ,director of the ,bureau of ,land ,management7 and the ,secretary of ,agriculture 7acting through the ,chief of the ,forest ,service7 7referred to in this section as the ,secretaries7 shall1 to the maximum extent practicable1 with respect to critical mineral production on ,federal land1 complete ,federal permitting and review processes with maximum efficiency and effectiveness1 while supporting vital economic growth1 by-- 7#a7 establishing and adhering to timelines and schedules for the consideration of1 and final decisions regarding1 applications1 operating plans1 leases1 licenses1 permits1 and other use authorizations for mineral-related activities on ,federal land2 7#b7 establishing clear1 quantifiable1 and temporal permitting performance goals and tracking progress against those goals2 7#c7 engaging in early collaboration among agencies1 project sponsors1 and affected stakeholders-- 7,a7 to incorporate and address the interests of those parties2 and 7,b7 to minimize delays2 7#d7 ensuring transparency and accountability by using cost-effective information technology to collect and disseminate information regarding individual projects and agency performance2 7#e7 engaging in early and active consultation with ,state1 local1 and ,indian tribal governments to avoid conflicts or duplication of effort1 resolve concerns1 and allow for concurrent1 rather than sequential1 reviews2 7#f7 providing demonstrable improvements in the performance of ,federal permitting and review processes1 including lower costs and more timely decisions2 7#g7 expanding and institutionalizing permitting and review process improvements that have proven effective2 7#h7 developing mechanisms to better communicate priorities and resolve disputes among agencies at the national1 regional1 ,state1 and local levels2 and 7#i7 developing other practices1 such as preapplication procedures4 7c7 ,review and report ,not later than #a year after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretaries shall submit to ,congress a report that-- 7#a7 identifies additional measures 7including regulatory and legislative proposals1 as appropriate7 that would increase the timeliness of permitting activities for the exploration and development of domestic critical minerals2 7#b7 identifies options 7including cost recovery paid by permit applicants7 for ensuring adequate staffing and training of ,federal entities and personnel responsible for the consideration of applications1 operating plans1 leases1 licenses1 permits1 and other use authorizations for critical mineral-related activities on ,federal land2 7#c7 quantifies the amount of time typically required 7including range derived from minimum and maximum durations1 mean1 median1 variance1 and other statistical measures or representations7 to complete each step 7including those aspects outside the control of the executive branch1 such as judicial review1 applicant decisions1 or ,state and local government involvement7 associated with the development and processing of applications1 operating plans1 leases1 licenses1 permits1 and other use authorizations for critical mineral-related activities on ,federal land1 which shall serve as a baseline for the performance metric under subsection 7d72 and 7#d7 describes actions carried out pursuant to subsection 7b74 7d7 ,performance metric ,not later than #ij days after the date of submission of the report under subsection 7c71 the ,secretaries1 after providing public notice and an opportunity to comment1 shall develop and publish a performance metric for evaluating the progress made by the executive branch to expedite the permitting of activities that will increase exploration for1 and development of1 domestic critical minerals1 while maintaining environmental standards4 7e7 ,annual reports ,beginning with the first budget submission by the ,president under section #aaje of title #ca1 ,united ,states ,code1 after publication of the performance metric required under subsection 7d71 and annually thereafter1 the ,secretaries shall submit to ,congress a report that-- 7#a7 summarizes the implementation of recommendations1 measures1 and options identified in paragraphs 7#a7 and 7#b7 of subsection 7c72 7#b7 using the performance metric under subsection 7d71 describes progress made by the executive branch1 as compared to the baseline established pursuant to subsection 7c77#c71 on expediting the permitting of activities that will increase exploration for1 and development of1 domestic critical minerals2 and 7#c7 compares the ,united ,states to other countries in terms of permitting efficiency and any other criteria relevant to the globally competitive critical minerals industry4 7f7 ,individual projects ,using data from the ,secretaries generated under subsection 7e71 the ,director of the ,office of ,management and ,budget shall prioritize inclusion of individual critical mineral projects on the website operated by the ,office of ,management and ,budget in accordance with section #aabb of title #ca1 ,united ,states ,code4 7g7 ,report of ,small ,business ,administration ,not later than #a year and #cjj days after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,administrator of the ,small ,business ,administration shall submit to the applicable committees of ,congress a report that assesses the performance of ,federal agencies with respect to-- 7#a7 complying with chapter #f of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code 7commonly known as the ,regulatory ,flexibility ,act71 in promulgating regulations applicable to the critical minerals industry2 and 7#b7 performing an analysis of regulations applicable to the critical minerals industry that may be outmoded1 inefficient1 duplicative1 or excessively burdensome4 7h7 ,application ,section #dajja7f77;,a7 of the ,,fast ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #dcgjm7#f77;,a77 is amended in the matter preceding clause 7i7 by inserting 7including critical mineral manufacturing 7as defined in section #b of the ,american ,mineral ,security ,act77 after manufacturing4 #g4 ,federal ,register process 7a7 ,departmental review ,absent any extraordinary circumstance1 and except as otherwise required by law1 the ,secretary and the ,secretary of ,agriculture shall ensure that each ,federal ,register notice described in subsection 7b7 shall be-- 7#a7 subject to any required reviews within the ,department of the ,interior or the ,department of ,agriculture2 and 7#b7 published in final form in the ,federal ,register not later than #de days after the date of initial preparation of the notice4 7b7 ,preparation ,the preparation of ,federal ,register notices required by law associated with the issuance of a critical mineral exploration or mine permit shall be delegated to the organizational level within the agency responsible for issuing the critical mineral exploration or mine permit4 7c7 ,transmission ,all ,federal ,register notices regarding official document availability1 announcements of meetings1 or notices of intent to undertake an action shall be originated in1 and transmitted to the ,federal ,register from1 the office in which1 as applicable-- 7#a7 the documents or meetings are held2 or 7#b7 the activity is initiated4 #h4 ,recycling1 efficiency1 and alternatives 7a7 ,establishment ,the ,secretary of ,energy 7referred to in this section as the ,secretary7 shall conduct a program of research and development-- 7#a7 to promote the efficient production1 use1 and recycling of critical minerals throughout the supply chain2 and 7#b7 to develop alternatives to critical minerals that do not occur in significant abundance in the ,united ,states4 7b7 ,cooperation ,in carrying out the program1 the ,secretary shall cooperate with appropriate-- 7#a7 ,federal agencies and ,national ,laboratories2 7#b7 critical mineral producers2 7#c7 critical mineral processors2 7#d7 critical mineral manufacturers2 7#e7 trade associations2 7#f7 academic institutions2 7#g7 small businesses2 and 7#h7 other relevant entities or individuals4 7c7 ,activities ,under the program1 the ,secretary shall carry out activities that include the identification and development of-- 7#a7 advanced critical mineral extraction1 production1 separation1 alloying1 or processing technologies that decrease the energy consumption1 environmental impact1 and costs of those activities1 including-- 7,a7 efficient water and wastewater management strategies2 7,b7 technologies and management strategies to control the environmental impacts of radionuclides in ore tailings2 and 7,c7 technologies for separation and processing2 7#b7 technologies or process improvements that minimize the use1 or lead to more efficient use1 of critical minerals across the full supply chain2 7#c7 technologies1 process improvements1 or design optimizations that facilitate the recycling of critical minerals1 and options for improving the rates of collection of products and scrap containing critical minerals from post-consumer1 industrial1 or other waste streams2 7#d7 commercial markets1 advanced storage methods1 energy applications1 and other beneficial uses of critical minerals processing byproducts2 7#e7 alternative minerals1 metals1 and materials1 particularly those available in abundance within the ,united ,states and not subject to potential supply restrictions1 that lessen the need for critical minerals2 and 7#f7 alternative energy technologies or alternative designs of existing energy technologies1 particularly those that use minerals that-- 7,a7 occur in abundance in the ,united ,states2 and 7,b7 are not subject to potential supply restrictions4 7d7 ,reports ,not later than #b years after the date of enactment of this ,act1 and annually thereafter1 the ,secretary shall submit to ,congress a report summarizing the activities1 findings1 and progress of the program4 #i4 ,analysis and forecasting 7a7 ,capabilities ,in order to evaluate existing critical mineral policies and inform future actions that may be taken to avoid supply shortages1 mitigate price volatility1 and prepare for demand growth and other market shifts1 the ,secretary1 in consultation with the ,energy ,information ,administration1 academic institutions1 and others in order to maximize the application of existing competencies related to developing and maintaining computer-models and similar analytical tools1 shall conduct and publish the results of an annual report that includes-- 7#a7 as part of the annually published ,mineral ,commodity ,summaries from the ,united ,states ,geological ,survey1 a comprehensive review of critical mineral production1 consumption1 and recycling patterns1 including-- 7,a7 the quantity of each critical mineral domestically produced during the preceding year2 7,b7 the quantity of each critical mineral domestically consumed during the preceding year2 7,c7 market price data or other price data for each critical mineral2 7,d7 an assessment of-- 7i7 critical mineral requirements to meet the national security1 energy1 economic1 industrial1 technological1 and other needs of the ,united ,states during the preceding year2 7ii7 the reliance of the ,united ,states on foreign sources to meet those needs during the preceding year2 and 7iii7 the implications of any supply shortages1 restrictions1 or disruptions during the preceding year2 7,e7 the quantity of each critical mineral domestically recycled during the preceding year2 7,f7 the market penetration during the preceding year of alternatives to each critical mineral2 7,g7 a discussion of international trends associated with the discovery1 production1 consumption1 use1 costs of production1 prices1 and recycling of each critical mineral as well as the development of alternatives to critical minerals2 and 7,h7 such other data1 analyses1 and evaluations as the ,secretary finds are necessary to achieve the purposes of this section2 and 7#b7 a comprehensive forecast1 entitled the ,annual ,critical ,minerals ,outlook1 of projected critical mineral production1 consumption1 and recycling patterns1 including-- 7,a7 the quantity of each critical mineral projected to be domestically produced over the subsequent #a-year1 #e-year1 and #aj-year periods2 7,b7 the quantity of each critical mineral projected to be domestically consumed over the subsequent #a-year1 #e-year1 and #aj-year periods2 7,c7 an assessment of-- 7i7 critical mineral requirements to meet projected national security1 energy1 economic1 industrial1 technological1 and other needs of the ,united ,states2 7ii7 the projected reliance of the ,united ,states on foreign sources to meet those needs2 and 7iii7 the projected implications of potential supply shortages1 restrictions1 or disruptions2 7,d7 the quantity of each critical mineral projected to be domestically recycled over the subsequent #a-year1 #e-year1 and #aj-year periods2 7,e7 the market penetration of alternatives to each critical mineral projected to take place over the subsequent #a-year1 #e-year1 and #aj-year periods2 7,f7 a discussion of reasonably foreseeable international trends associated with the discovery1 production1 consumption1 use1 costs of production1 and recycling of each critical mineral as well as the development of alternatives to critical minerals2 and 7,g7 such other projections relating to each critical mineral as the ,secretary determines to be necessary to achieve the purposes of this section4 7b7 ,proprietary information ,in preparing a report described in subsection 7a71 the ,secretary shall ensure1 consistent with section #e7;f7 of the ,national ,materials and ,minerals ,policy1 ,research and ,development ,act of #aihj 7#cj ,u4,s4,c4 #afjd7;f771 that-- 7#a7 no person uses the information and data collected for the report for a purpose other than the development of or reporting of aggregate data in a manner such that the identity of the person or firm who supplied the information is not discernible and is not material to the intended uses of the information2 7#b7 no person discloses any information or data collected for the report unless the information or data has been transformed into a statistical or aggregate form that does not allow the identification of the person or firm who supplied particular information2 and 7#c7 procedures are established to require the withholding of any information or data collected for the report if the ,secretary determines that withholding is necessary to protect proprietary information1 including any trade secrets or other confidential information4 #aj4 ,education and workforce 7a7 ,workforce assessment ,not later than #a year and #cjj days after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,labor 7in consultation with the ,secretary1 the ,director of the ,national ,science ,foundation1 institutions of higher education with substantial expertise in mining1 institutions of higher education with significant expertise in minerals research1 including fundamental research into alternatives1 and employers in the critical minerals sector7 shall submit to ,congress an assessment of the domestic availability of technically trained personnel necessary for critical mineral exploration1 development1 assessment1 production1 manufacturing1 recycling1 analysis1 forecasting1 education1 and research1 including an analysis of-- 7#a7 skills that are in the shortest supply as of the date of the assessment2 7#b7 skills that are projected to be in short supply in the future2 7#c7 the demographics of the critical minerals industry and how the demographics will evolve under the influence of factors such as an aging workforce2 7#d7 the effectiveness of training and education programs in addressing skills shortages2 7#e7 opportunities to hire locally for new and existing critical mineral activities2 7#f7 the sufficiency of personnel within relevant areas of the ,federal ,government for achieving the policies described in section #c of the ,national ,materials and ,minerals ,policy1 ,research and ,development ,act of #aihj 7#cj ,u4,s4,c4 #afjb72 and 7#g7 the potential need for new training programs to have a measurable effect on the supply of trained workers in the critical minerals industry4 7b7 ,curriculum study 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary and the ,secretary of ,labor shall jointly enter into an arrangement with the ,national ,academy of ,sciences and the ,national ,academy of ,engineering under which the ,academies shall coordinate with the ,national ,science ,foundation on conducting a study-- 7,a7 to design an interdisciplinary program on critical minerals that will support the critical mineral supply chain and improve the ability of the ,united ,states to increase domestic1 critical mineral exploration1 development1 production1 manufacturing1 research1 including fundamental research into alternatives1 and recycling2 7,b7 to address undergraduate and graduate education1 especially to assist in the development of graduate level programs of research and instruction that lead to advanced degrees with an emphasis on the critical mineral supply chain or other positions that will increase domestic1 critical mineral exploration1 development1 production1 manufacturing1 research1 including fundamental research into alternatives1 and recycling2 7,c7 to develop guidelines for proposals from institutions of higher education with substantial capabilities in the required disciplines for activities to improve the critical mineral supply chain and advance the capacity of the ,united ,states to increase domestic1 critical mineral exploration1 research1 development1 production1 manufacturing1 and recycling2 and 7,d7 to outline criteria for evaluating performance and recommendations for the amount of funding that will be necessary to establish and carry out the program described in subsection 7c74 7#b7 ,report ,not later than #b years after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary shall submit to ,congress a description of the results of the study required under paragraph 7#a74 7c7 ,program 7#a7 ,establishment ,the ,secretary and the ,secretary of ,labor shall jointly conduct a competitive grant program under which institutions of higher education may apply for and receive #d-year grants for-- 7,a7 startup costs for newly designated faculty positions in integrated critical mineral education1 research1 innovation1 training1 and workforce development programs consistent with subsection 7b72 7,b7 internships1 scholarships1 and fellowships for students enrolled in programs related to critical minerals2 7,c7 equipment necessary for integrated critical mineral innovation1 training1 and workforce development programs2 and 7,d7 research of critical minerals and their applications1 particularly concerning the manufacture of critical components vital to national security4 7#b7 ,renewal ,a grant under this subsection shall be renewable for up to #b additional #c-year terms based on performance criteria outlined under subsection 7b77#a77;,d74 #aa4 ,national geological and geophysical data preservation program ,section #cea7k7 of the ,energy ,policy ,act of #bjje 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aeijh7k77 is amended by striking #cj1jjj1jjj for each of fiscal years #bjjf through #bjaj and inserting #e1jjj1jjj for each of fiscal years #bjbj through #bjbi1 to remain available until expended4 #ab4 ,administration 7a7 ,in general ,the ,national ,critical ,materials ,act of #aihd 7#cj ,u4,s4,c4 #ahja et seq47 is repealed4 7b7 ,conforming amendment ,section #c7;d7 of the ,national ,superconductivity and ,competitiveness ,act of #aihh 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #ebjb7;d77 is amended in the first sentence by striking 1 with the assistance of the ,national ,critical ,materials ,council as specified in the ,national ,critical ,materials ,act of #aihd 7#cj ,u4,s4,c4 #ahja et seq4714 7c7 ,savings clauses 7#a7 ,in general ,nothing in this ,act or an amendment made by this ,act modifies any requirement or authority provided by-- 7,a7 the matter under the heading ,,geological ,,survey of the first section of the ,act of ,march #c1 #ahgi 7#dc ,u4,s4,c4 #ca7;a772 or 7,b7 the first section of ,public ,law #hg-fbf 7#dc ,u4,s4,c4 #ca7;b774 7#b7 ,effect on ,department of ,defense ,nothing in this ,act or an amendment made by this ,act affects the authority of the ,secretary of ,defense with respect to the work of the ,department of ,defense on critical material supplies in furtherance of the national defense mission of the ,department of ,defense4 7#c7 ,secretarial order not affected ,this ,act shall not apply to any mineral described in ,secretarial ,order ,no4 #ccbd1 issued by the ,secretary of the ,interior on ,december #c1 #bjab1 in any area to which the order applies4 #ac4 ,authorization of appropriations ,there is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this ,act #ej1jjj1jjj for each of fiscal years #bjbj through #bjbi4