,i  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #djah  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,june #ag1 #bjbe,mr4 
,ezell 7for himself and ,mrs4           
,miller-,meeks7 introduced the following
 bill2 which was referred to the        
,committee on ,natural ,resources1 and  
in addition to the ,committee on        
,foreign ,affairs1 for a period to be   
subsequently determined by the ,speaker1
 in each case for consideration of such 
provisions as fall within the           
jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
,a ,,bill  ,to unleash ,america's       
offshore critical minerals and          
resources4  #a4 ,findings ,congress     
finds the following3 7#a7 ,the ,united  
,states has a core national security and
 economic interest in maintaining       
leadership in deep sea science and      
technology and seabed mineral resources4
  7#b7 ,the ,united ,states faces       
unprecedented economic and national     
security challenges in securing reliable
 supplies of critical minerals          

independent of foreign adversary        
control4  7#c7 ,vast offshore seabed    
areas hold critical minerals and energy 
resources4  7#d7 ,these resources are   
key to strengthening our economy1       
securing our energy future1 and reducing
 dependence on foreign suppliers for    
critical minerals4  7#e7 ,the ,united   
,states also controls seabed mineral    
resources in one of the largest ocean   
areas of the world4  7#f7 ,our ,nation  
can1 through the exercise of existing   
authorities and by establishing         
international partnerships1 access      
potentially vast resources in seabed    
polymetallic nodules1 other subsea      
geologic structures1 and coastal        
deposits containing strategic minerals  
such as nickel1 cobalt1 copper1         
manganese1 titanium1 and rare earth     
elements1 which are vital to our        
national security and economic          
prosperity4  7#g7 ,our ,nation must take
 immediate action to accelerate the     
responsible development of seabed       

mineral resources1 quantify the         
,nation's endowment of seabed minerals1 
reinvigorate ,american leadership in    
associated extraction and processing    
technologies1 and ensure secure supply  
chains for our defense1 infrastructure1 
and energy sectors4  7#h7 ,it is the    
policy of the ,united ,states to advance
 ,united ,states leadership in seabed   
mineral development by-- 7,a7 rapidly   
developing domestic capabilities for the
 exploration1 characterization1         
collection1 and processing of seabed    
mineral resources through streamlined   
permitting without compromising         
environmental and transparency          
standards2  7,b7 supporting investment  
in deep sea science1 mapping1 and       
technology2  7,c7 enhancing coordination
 among executive departments and        
agencies with respect to seabed mineral 
development activities described in this
 ,act2  7,d7 establishing the ,united   
,states as a global leader in           
responsible seabed mineral exploration1 

development technologies1 and practices1
 and as a partner for countries         
developing seabed mineral resources in  
areas within their national             
jurisdictions1 including their exclusive
 economic zones2  7,e7 creating a robust
 domestic supply chain for critical     
minerals derived from seabed mineral    
resources to support economic growth1   
reindustrialization1 and military       
preparedness1 including through new     
processing capabilities2 and  7,f7      
strengthening partnerships with allies  
and industry to counter ,china's growing
 influence over seabed mineral resources
 and to ensure ,united ,states companies
 are well-positioned to support allies  
and partners interested in developing   
seabed minerals responsibly in areas    
within their national jurisdictions1    
including their exclusive economic      
zones4  #b4 ,strategic seabed critical  
mineral access  7a7 ,expediting issuance
 of certain authorizations under ,deep  
,seabed ,hard ,mineral ,resources ,act  

7#a7 ,in general ,not later than #fj    
days after the date of the enactment of 
this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,commerce1 
acting through the ,administrator of the
 ,national ,oceanic and ,atmospheric    
,administration and in consultation with
 the ,secretary of ,state and ,secretary
 of the ,interior1 acting through the   
,director of the ,bureau of ,ocean      
,energy ,management1 shall expedite the 
process for reviewing and issuing       
licenses for exploration and permits for
 commercial recovery under the ,deep    
,seabed ,hard ,mineral ,resources ,act  
7#cj ,u4,s4,c4 #adja et seq474  7#b7    
,requirements ,in expediting the process
 described in paragraph 7#a71 the       
entities described in that paragraph    
shall ensure efficiency1 predictability1
 and competitiveness for ,united ,states
 companies4  7b7 ,expediting issuance of
 certain authorizations under ,outer    
,continental ,shelf ,lands ,act  7#a7   
,in general ,not later than #fj days    
after the date of the enactment of this 

,act1 the ,secretary of the ,interior   
shall establish an expedited process for
 reviewing and approving permits for    
prospecting and granting leases under   
the ,outer ,continental ,shelf ,lands   
,act 7#dc ,u4,s4,c4 #acca et seq474     
7#b7 ,requirements ,the expedited       
process established under paragraph 7#a7
 shall ensure efficiency1               
predictability1 and competitiveness for 
,united ,states companies4  7c7 ,seabed 
mapping plan ,not later than #fj days   
after the date of the enactment of this 
,act1 the ,secretary of the ,interior1  
in consultation with the ,secretary of  
,state1 ,secretary of ,commerce1 and    
heads of other relevant ,federal        
agencies1 and in cooperation with       
commercial and other nongovernmental    
organizations1 shall develop a plan to  
map priority areas of the seabed ,united
 ,states outer ,continental ,shelf1 to  
include extended areas of the outer     
,continental ,shelf1 such as those with 
abundant or accessible seabed mineral   

resources1 to accelerate data collection
 and characterization4  7d7             
,identification of certain critical     
minerals ,not later than #fj days after 
the date of the enactment of this ,act1 
the ,secretary of the ,interior-- 7#a7  
shall identify which critical minerals  
may be derived from seabed mineral      
resources2 and  7#b7 in coordination    
with the ,secretary of ,defense and     
,secretary of ,energy1 determine which  
critical minerals derived from seabed   
mineral resources are essential for     
applications such as defense            
infrastructure1 manufacturing1 and      
energy4  7e7 ,engagement with key       
partners and allies  7#a7 ,in general   
,not later than #fj days after the date 
of the enactment of this ,act1 the      
,secretary of ,commerce1 in coordination
 with the ,secretary of ,state1         
,secretary of the ,interior1 and        
,secretary of ,energy1 shall engage with
 key partners and allies to offer       
support for seabed mineral resource     

exploration1 extraction1 processing1 and
 environmental monitoring in areas      
within the jurisdictions of such key    
partners and allies1 including by--     
7,a7 seeking scientific collaboration   
and commercial development opportunities
 for ,united ,states companies2 and     
7,b7 developing a prioritized list of   
foreign countries for engagement4  7#b7 
,key partner or ally determination  7,a7
 ,in general ,the ,secretary of ,state  
shall determine whether an entity is a  
key partner or ally for the purposes of 
this ,act1 based on factors such as--   
7i7 existing agreements with the ,united
 ,states2  7ii7 alignment with strategic
 interests of the ,united ,states2 and  
7iii7 participation in joint            
initiatives4  7,b7 ,notification ,the   
,secretary of ,state shall notify the   
,secretary of ,commerce1 ,secretary of  
the ,interior1 and ,secretary of ,energy
 of any determination made under        
subparagraph 7,a74  7f7 ,reports ,not   
later than #fj days after the date of   

the enactment of this ,act--  7#a7 the  
,secretary of the ,interior1 in         
coordination with the ,secretary of     
,commerce and ,secretary of ,energy1 and
 in consultation with the heads of other
 relevant ,federal agencies1 shall      
submit to the ,committee on ,natural    
,resources of the ,house of             
,representatives and the ,committees on 
,energy and ,natural ,resources and     
,commerce1 ,science1 and ,transportation
 of the ,senate a report that identifies
 private sector interest in and         
opportunities for seabed mineral        
resource exploration and mining on the  
outer ,continental ,shelf1 in areas     
beyond national jurisdiction1 and in    
areas within the jurisdiction of a      
foreign country that expresses interest 
in partnering with ,united ,states      
companies with respect to seabed mineral
 resource development2 and  7#b7 the    
,secretary of the ,interior1 jointly    
with the ,secretary of ,state1          
,secretary of ,commerce1 and ,secretary 

of ,energy1 shall submit to the         
,committee on ,natural ,resources of the
 ,house of ,representatives and the     
,committees on ,energy and ,natural     
,resources and ,commerce1 ,science1 and 
,transportation of the ,senate a report 
regarding the feasibility of an         
international benefit-sharing mechanism 
for seabed mineral resource extraction  
and development that occurs in an area  
beyond the jurisdiction of any country4 
#c4 ,general provisions  7a7 ,rule of   
construction ,nothing in this ,act shall
 be construed to impair or otherwise    
affect the authority granted by law to  
an executive department or agency1 or   
the head thereof4  7b7 ,no creation of  
right or benefit ,this ,act does not    
create any right or benefit1 substantive
 or procedural1 enforceable at law or in
 equity by any party against the ,united
 ,states1 its departments1 agencies1    
entities1 officers1 employees1 or       
agents1 or any other person4  #d4       
,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7        

,commercial recovery ,the term          
commercial recovery has the meaning     
given the term in section #d of the     
,deep ,seabed ,hard ,mineral ,resources 
,act 7#cj ,u4,s4,c4 #adjc74  7#b7       
,critical mineral ,the term critical    
mineral has the meaning given the term  
in section #gjjb7;a77#c7 of the ,energy 
,act of #bjbj 7#cj ,u4,s4,c4            
#afjf7;a77#c774  7#c7 ,exploration ,the 
term exploration has the meaning given  
the term in section #d of the ,deep     
,seabed ,hard ,mineral ,resources ,act  
7#cj ,u4,s4,c4 #adjc74  7#d7 ,lease ,the
 term lease has the meaning given the   
term in section #b of the ,outer        
,continental ,shelf ,lands ,act 7#dc    
,u4,s4,c4 #acca74  7#e7 ,mineral ,the   
term mineral means--  7,a7 a critical   
mineral2  7,b7 uranium2  7,c7 copper2   
7,d7 potash2  7,e7 gold2 and  7,f7 any  
other element or compound the ,chair of 
the ,national ,energy ,dominance        
,council determines appropriate4  7#f7  
,outer ,continental ,shelf ,the term    

outer ,continental ,shelf has the       
meaning given the term in section #b of 
the ,outer ,continental ,shelf ,lands   
,act 7#dc ,u4,s4,c4 #acca74  7#g7       
,processing ,the term processing        
includes the concentration1 separation1 
refinement1 alloying1 and conversion of 
minerals into usable forms4  7#h7       
,prospecting ,the term prospecting has  
the meaning given the term geological   
and geophysical 7,g,g7 prospecting      
activities in section #ehj4a of title   
#cj1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations 7or 
a similar successor regulation74  7#i7  
,seabed mineral resource ,the term      
seabed mineral resource means a         
mineral-bearing material located in the 
seabed of the outer ,continental ,shelf1
 including--  7,a7 a polymetallic       
nodule2  7,b7 a cobalt-rich             
ferromanganese crust2  7,c7 a           
polymetallic sulfide2  7,d7 a heavy     
mineral sand2 and  7,e7 a phosphorite4  
7#aj7 ,united ,states company ,the term 
,united ,states company has the meaning 

given the term ,united ,states citizen  
in section #d of the ,deep ,seabed ,hard
 ,mineral ,resources ,act 7#cj ,u4,s4,c4
 #adjc74