,i  #aag? ,,congress  #b;d ,session  ,h4
 ,r4 #hhjh  ,,9 ,,! ,,h\se ,,(          
,,repres5tatives  ,septemb] #ac1 #bjbb  
,mr4 ,donalds 7= himself1 ,ms4 ,salaz>1 
,mr4 ,nehls1 ,mr4 ,fe5/ra1 ,mr4         
,caw?orn1 ,mr4 ,craw=d1 ,mr4 ,baird1    
,mr4 ,ros5dale1 ,mr4 ,h]n1 ,mr4 ,mull91 
& ,mr4 ,posey7 introduc$ ! foll[+ bill2 
:i* 0 ref]r$ to ! ,committee on         
,f9ancial ,s]vices  ,a ,,bill  ,to      
acquire cobalt ref9+ capacity 9 ! ,unit$
 ,/ates1 & = o!r purposes4  #a4 ,%ort   
title ,?is ,act may be cit$ z ! ,cobalt 
,optimizes ,batt]ies ,& ,lead+          
,te*nologies ,act ( #bjbb or ! ,,cobalt 
,act ( #bjbb4  #b4 ,f9d+s ,congress     
makes ! foll[+ f9d+s3  7#a7 ,! ,national
 ,def5se ,/ockpile lacks suffici5t      
cobalt res]ves1 fall+ f #ac1jjj tons    
dur+ ! ,cold ,w> to only #ccc tons      
today4  7#b7 ,! ,unit$ ,/ates curr5tly  
produces z]o newly ref9$ cobalt1 mak+ ! 
,unit$ ,/ates dep5d5t on =eign imports &
 second>y scrap mat]ials = ne>ly #ajj   
p]c5t ( its cobalt consumption4  7#c7   

,*9a is ! _w's cobalt lyn*p91 supply+   
#gb p]c5t ( global ref9$ cobalt4  7#d7  
,! ,int]national ,en]gy ,ag5cy =eca/s a 
cobalt supply deficit by #bjcj1         
ultimately project+ cobalt dem& 9 #bjdj 
to range f #f to #cj times high] ?an    
today's levels4  7#e7 ,cobalt supply    
*a9s (t5 face an untraceable            
m9e-to-ref9]y *a9 ( cu/ody1 risk+       
inadv]t5t f9anc+ ( slave & =c$ *ild     
labor4  7#f7 ,cobalt ref9]ies g5]ally   
use ! process ( hydrometallurgy 7e4g41  
acid lea*+7 & pyrometallurgy 7e4g41     
smelt+71 jeop>diz+ ! environm5t4  #c4   
,s5se ( ,congress ,x is ! s5se (        
,congress t-- 7#a7 ! ,unit$ ,/ates lack 
( cobalt ref9+ capacity is a s]i\s      
vuln]ability to ,am]ica's critical m9]al
 supply *a9s2  7#b7 ! ,p's ,republic (  
,*9a's dom9ant %>e ( ! ref9$ cobalt     
m>ket & ! unprec$5t$ global dem& gr[? = 
ref9$ cobalt are ?reats to ! national   
security1 economic /ability1 &          
competitiv5ess ( key indu/ries 9 !      
,unit$ ,/ates2 &  7#c7 ! ,dep>tm5t (    

,def5se %\ld--  7,a7 make pur*ases &    
pur*ase commitm5ts ) new ref9]ies 9 !   
,unit$ ,/ates to enc\rage !m to scale up
 production2  7,b7 /ockpile an increas$ 
am\nt ( dome/ically ref9$ cobalt to     
decrease ! vuln]ability ( ! ,unit$      
,/ates to supply *a9 int]ruptions2  7,c7
 require cobalt ref9]ies 9 ! ,unit$     
,/ates to pres5t a transp>5t            
m9e-to-ref9]y *a9 ( cu/ody to curb      
accid5tal f9anc+ ( slave & =c$ *ild     
labor2 &  7,d7 prioritize pur*as+ cobalt
 ref9$ ?r\gh ! environm5tally neutral   
process ( *emical vapor metallurgy to   
prev5t h>m to ! air1 wat]1 & soil4  #d4 
,/atem5t ( policy ,x %all be ! policy ( 
! ,unit$ ,/ates to-- 7#a7 support       
critical m9]al ref9]ies 9 ! ,unit$      
,/ates ?r\gh pur*ases & pur*ase         
commitm5ts2  7#b7 increase ! am\nt (    
dome/ically ref9$ critical m9]als 9 !   
,national ,def5se ,/ockpile2  7#c7      
decrease ! dep5d5ce ( ! ,unit$ ,/ates on
 critical m9]als ref9$ 9 =eign c\ntries1
 includ+ ,*9a2  7#d7 combat slave & =c$ 

*ild labor 9 critical m9]al m9+ & ref9+2
 &  7#e7 protect ! environm5t f h>mful  
indu/rial practices relat$ to critical  
m9]al ref9+4  #e4 ,pur*ase program =    
dome/ically ref9$ cobalt  7a7 ,9 g5]al  
,! ,presid5t1 act+ ?r\gh ,secret>y (    
,def5se & ! ,def5se ,logi/ics ,ag5cy1 & 
9 consultation ) ! ,secret>y ( ,en]gy1 !
 ,secret>y ( ,comm]ce1 & ! ,secret>y ( !
 ,int]ior1 %all use ! au?orities provid$
 "u title ,,iii ( ! ,def5se ,production 
,act ( #aiej to increase ! am\nt (      
dome/ically ref9$ cobalt 9 ! ,national  
,def5se ,/ockpile by aw>d+ eligible     
entities ) pur*ases & pur*ase commitm5ts
 ( cobalt nanop[d] & sub-nanop[d] ref9$ 
9 ! ,unit$ ,/ates ?r\gh ! environm5tally
 neutral process ( *emical vapor        
metallurgy4  7b7 ,am\nt ,to c>ry out    
subsection 7a71 ! ,presid5t %all use    
#hjj1jjj1jjj dur+ fiscal ye> #bjbd ?r\gh
 fiscal ye> #bjbh f ! ,def5se           
,production ,act ,fund4  #f4 ,def9itions
 ,9 ?is ,act3 7#a7 ,eligible entity ,!  
t]m eligible entity means a ref9]y--    

7,a7 t is own$ by ,unit$ ,/ates p]sons &
 op]at+ 9 ! ,unit$ ,/ates2  7,b7 ^:     
prim>y bus9ess activity1 or t ( its p>5t
 company1 is ref9+ critical m9]als2     
7,c7 t ref9es critical m9]als ?r\gh     
*emical vapor metallurgy2 &  7,d7 t     
provides ! ,secret>y ( ,def5se ) a      
m9e-to-ref9]y *a9 ( cu/ody1 includ+ pro(
 t ! cobalt ore is free ( slave & =c$   
*ild labor4  7#b7 ,*emical vapor        
metallurgy ,! t]m *emical vapor         
metallurgy means ! process ( produc+    
cobalt nanop[d] by *emically vaporiz+   
cobalt ore conc5trates ne> atmosph]ic   
pressure at relatively l[ temp]atures4  
7#c7 ,cobalt nanop[d] ,! t]m cobalt     
nanop[d] means cobalt p[d]s1 includ+    
pure cobalt & cobalt salts1 ref9$ to !  
nanop[d] scale4  7#d7 ,critical m9]al ,!
 t]m critical m9]al means a m9]al       
conta9$ on ! li/ publi%$ by ! ,u4,s4    
,geological ,survey ( ! ,dep>tm5t ( !   
,int]ior titl$ #bjbb ,f9al ,li/ (       
,critical ,m9]als 7#hg ,f$4 ,reg4       
#ajcha2 publi%$ ,febru>y #bd1 #bjbb74   

7#e7 ,dome/ically ref9$ ,! t]m          
dome/ically ref9$ means cobalt ref9$    
exclusively 9 ! ,unit$ ,/ates4  7#f7    
,environm5tally neutral ,! t]m          
environm5tally neutral means hav+ m9imal
 impact on ! air1 wat]1 & soil4