,,ii #aaith ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #beej ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,july #cj1 #bjbe ,mrs4 ,shaheen 7for herself and ,mr4 ,curtis7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations ,a ,,bill ,to provide for international cooperation to secure critical mineral supply chains1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,critical ,minerals ,partnership ,act of #bjbe4 #b4 ,definition of critical mineral ,in this ,act1 the term critical mineral-- 7#a7 has the meaning given the term in section #gjjb of the ,energy ,act of #bjbj 7#cj ,u4,s4,c4 #afjf72 and 7#b7 includes any other mineral or mineral material determined by the ,secretary of ,state-- 7,a7 to be essential to the economic or national security of the ,united ,states2 and 7,b7 to have a supply chain vulnerable to disruption4 #c4 ,statement of policy on critical mineral supply chains ,it is the policy of the ,united ,states-- 7#a7 to collaborate with allies and partners of the ,united ,states to build secure and resilient critical minerals supply chains1 including in the mining1 processing1 reclamation and recycling1 and valuation of critical minerals2 7#b7 to prioritize the development and production of critical mineral resources domestically1 including through improvement of systems for collecting and recycling critical minerals from used and discarded goods or equipment1 both to supply domestic needs and for export to allies and partners that participate in secure and resilient supply chains for critical minerals2 7#c7 to reduce or eliminate reliance and dependence on critical mineral supply chains controlled by the ,people's ,republic of ,china1 the ,russian ,federation1 ,iran1 or any other adversary of the ,united ,states2 7#d7 to work with allies and partners on enhancing evaluation capability and technology in trusted countries that produce critical minerals to avoid the export of critical minerals1 or products or components that are dependent on critical minerals1 that are controlled by adversaries of the ,united ,states2 7#e7 to identify and implement market-based incentives for the purposes of facilitating the creation and maintenance of secure and resilient critical mineral supply chains1 including for reclamation and recycling of critical mineral resources from waste streams1 in collaboration with allies and partners2 7#f7 to prioritize securing critical mineral supply chains in ,united ,states foreign policy1 including through the use of economic tools to invest responsibly in projects in partner countries in a manner that both benefits local populations and bolsters the supply of critical minerals to the ,united ,states and allies and partners of the ,united ,states2 and 7#g7 that collaboration with allies and partners to build secure and resilient critical mineral supply chains shall not replace ,united ,states efforts to increase domestic development and production or recycling of critical minerals4 #d4 ,international negotiations relating to protecting critical mineral supply chains 7a7 ,in general ,the ,president is authorized to negotiate an agreement with international partners for the purposes of establishing a coalition-- 7#a7 to facilitate-- 7,a7 the mining1 processing1 recycling1 and enhanced access to the supply of critical minerals2 and 7,b7 advanced manufacturing that relies on the practical application of critical minerals2 and 7#b7 to secure an adequate supply of critical minerals and relevant products1 manufacturing inputs1 and components that are heavily dependent on critical mineral resource inputs for the ,united ,states and other members of the coalition 7in this section referred to as member countries74 7b7 ,negotiating objectives ,the overall objectives for negotiating an agreement described in subsection 7a7 should be-- 7#a7 to establish mechanisms for member countries to build secure and resilient supply chains for critical minerals1 including in-- 7,a7 the mining1 refinement1 reclamation and recycling1 processing1 and valuation of critical minerals2 and 7,b7 advanced manufacturing of products1 components1 and materials that are dependent on critical minerals2 7#b7 to improve economies of scale and joint cooperation with international partners in securing access and means of production throughout the supply chains of critical minerals and manufacturing processes dependent on critical minerals2 7#c7 to establish mechanisms1 with appropriate market-based disciplines1 that provide and maintain opportunities among member countries for creating industry economies of scale to attract joint investment among those countries1 including-- 7,a7 cooperation on joint projects1 including cost-sharing on building appropriate infrastructure to access deposits of critical minerals2 and 7,b7 creation or enhancement of national and international programs to support the development of robust industries by providing appropriate sector-specific incentives1 such as political risk and other insurance opportunities1 financing1 and other support1 for-- 7i7 mining and processing critical minerals2 7ii7 manufacturing of products1 components1 and materials that are dependent on critical minerals and are essential to consumer technology products or have important national security implications2 7iii7 building capacities and creating incentives for recovering used1 spent1 or discarded equipment and consumer goods containing critical minerals to be safely handled and recycled2 and 7iv7 associated transportation needs that are tailored to the handling1 movement1 and logistics management of critical minerals and products1 components1 and materials that are dependent on critical minerals2 7#d7 to establish market-based rules for member countries regarding adoption of qualifying tax and other incentives to stimulate investment1 as balanced by market-based disciplines to ensure a fair playing field among those countries2 7#e7 to establish recommended best practices to protect-- 7,a7 labor rights2 7,b7 the natural environment and ecosystems near critical mineral industrial sites2 and 7,c7 safety of communities near critical mineral industrial activities2 7#f7 to advance economic growth in developing countries with critical mineral reserves and capacities for the recovery and recycling of critical minerals1 including for the benefit of the citizens of those countries2 7#g7 to establish rules allowing for the establishment of a consortium that is resourced and empowered to bid and compete in acquiring and securing potential deposits of critical minerals in countries that are not members of the coalition described in subsection 7a7 7in this section referred to as nonmember countries72 7#h7 to establish a mechanism for joint resource mapping with procedures for equitable sharing of information on potential deposits of critical minerals not less frequently than annually2 7#i7 to establish appropriate mechanisms for the recognition and enforcement by a member country of judgments relating to environmental and related harms caused by mining operations within the territory of the member country in contravention of that country's laws2 and 7#aj7 to improve supply chain security among member countries by providing for national treatment investment protections among those countries that are equal to1 or better than1 the standards in the ,united ,states model bilateral investment treaty4 7c7 ,congressional consultations required ,in the course of negotiations described in subsection 7a71 the ,secretary shall consult closely and on a timely basis with1 and keep fully apprised of the negotiations1 the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations of the ,senate and the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs of the ,house of ,representatives4 #e4 ,minerals ,security ,partnership authorization 7a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary of ,state1 acting through the ,under ,secretary of ,state for ,economic ,growth1 ,energy1 and the ,environment1 is authorized to lead ,united ,states participation in the ,minerals ,security ,partnership1 for the following purposes3 7#a7 ,to identify and support investment and advocate for commercial critical mineral mining1 processing1 and refining projects that enable robust and secure critical mineral supply chains1 in consultation with other ,federal agencies1 as appropriate4 7#b7 ,to coordinate with relevant regional bureaus to develop regional diplomatic engagement strategies related to critical minerals projects and to identify projects that are priorities4 7#c7 ,to coordinate with ,united ,states missions abroad on projects1 programs1 and investments that enable robust and secure critical mineral supply chains4 7#d7 ,to coordinate with current and prospective members of the ,minerals ,security ,partnership4 7#e7 ,to establish a mechanism for information-sharing with members of the ,minerals ,security ,partnership4 7#f7 ,to establish policies and procedures1 and if necessary1 to provide funding to facilitate cooperation on joint projects with members of the ,minerals ,security ,partnership and the ,minerals ,security ,forum1 including those related to cost-sharing agreements1 political risk insurance1 financing1 equity investments1 and other support1 in coordination with other ,federal agencies1 as appropriate4 7#g7 ,if an agreement described in section #d is entered into1 to support the establishment of the coalition described in that section4 7b7 ,database ,as part of the ,minerals ,security ,partnership1 the ,secretary1 acting through the ,under ,secretary1 is authorized to establish and maintain a database of critical mineral projects for the purpose of providing high quality and up-to-date information to the private sector and1 at the discretion of the ,under ,secretary1 to members of the ,minerals ,security ,partnership1 in order to spur greater investment1 increase the resilience of global critical minerals supply chains1 and boost ,united ,states supply4 7c7 ,qualifications for personnel ,with respect to staffing personnel to carry out the ,minerals ,security ,partnership1 the ,secretary shall prioritize individuals with the following qualifications3 7#a7 ,substantive knowledge and experience in issues related to critical minerals supply chain and their application to strategic industries1 including in the defense1 energy1 and technology sectors4 7#b7 ,substantive knowledge and experience in large-scale multi-donor project financing and related technical and diplomatic arrangements1 international coalition-building1 and project management4 7#c7 ,substantive knowledge and experience in trade and foreign policy1 defense industrial base policy1 or national security-sensitive supply chain issues4 7d7 ,private sector coordination ,the ,secretary shall ensure close coordination between the ,department of ,state1 the private sector1 and relevant civil society groups on the implementation of this section4 7e7 ,project selection 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,united ,states1 through its participation in the ,minerals ,security ,partnership1 shall prioritize projects that advance the national and economic security interests of the ,united ,states and allies and partners of the ,united ,states4 7#b7 ,criteria requirements ,the ,united ,states should advocate for the ,minerals ,security ,partnership to use environmental1 social1 or governance standards1 including as criteria for project selection1 that are consistent with ,united ,states law or international agreements approved by ,congress4 #f4 ,united ,states membership in the ,international ,nickel ,study ,group 7a7 ,united ,states membership ,the ,president is authorized to accept the ,terms of ,reference of and maintain membership of the ,united ,states in the ,international ,nickel ,study ,group4 7b7 ,payments of assessed contributions ,for fiscal year #bjbe and thereafter1 the ,united ,states assessed contributions to the ,international ,nickel ,study ,group may be paid from funds appropriated for ,contributions to ,international ,organizations4 #g4 ,authorization of appropriations ,there is authorized to be appropriated to the ,department of ,state #ej1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #bjbf to enhance critical mineral supply chain security1 including to implement this ,act4