,,ii #aaith ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #eih ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,february #ac1 #bjbe,mr4 ,hickenlooper 7for himself and ,mr4 ,tillis7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,energy and ,natural ,resources ,a ,,bill ,to establish a mineral and mining innovation program within the ,department of ,energy to advance domestic mineral resources1 economic growth1 and national security1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,unearth ,innovation ,act4 #b4 ,mineral and mining innovation initiative 7a7 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 ,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#b7 ,initiative ,the term initiative means the mineral and mining innovation initiative established under subsection 7b74 7#c7 ,mining ,university ,the term mining university means an institution of higher education 7as defined in section #aja7;a7 of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajja7;a777 with a mining1 metallurgical1 geological1 or mineral engineering program accredited by the ,accreditation ,board for ,engineering and ,technology1 ,inc4 7#d7 ,secretary ,the term ,secretary means the ,secretary of ,energy4 7b7 ,establishment ,not later than #ahj days after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary shall establish an initiative within the ,department of ,energy1 the purposes of which are-- 7#a7 to support the research1 development1 deployment1 and commercialization of emerging technologies and practices suitable for responsibly identifying1 characterizing1 mining1 extracting1 processing1 recycling1 and reprocessing the minerals required across multiple industries in the ,united ,states to advance domestic mineral resources1 circularity1 economic growth1 national security1 and other goals1 as determined by the ,secretary2 7#b7 to accelerate the research1 development1 and integration of advanced technologies1 data analytics1 responsible mining and mineral recovery practices1 advanced techniques for separation or processing facilities to minimize human impacts1 and extractive processes intended to minimize environmental impact1 increase per-unit productivity1 optimize resource utilization1 and promote technology adaptation1 community engagement1 and social acceptance of mining2 and 7#c7 to coordinate with the ,national ,institute of ,occupational ,safety and ,health of the ,centers for ,disease ,control and ,prevention1 the ,office of ,surface ,mining ,reclamation and ,enforcement1 and the ,mine ,safety and ,health ,administration of the ,department of ,labor on safety and mining innovation4 7c7 ,duties 7#a7 ,in general ,in carrying out the initiative1 the ,secretary1 in coordination with the ,secretary of the ,interior1 shall identify1 study1 evaluate1 test1 and demonstrate hard rock mineral mining1 unconventional mineral recovery1 refining1 and processing technologies and practices to improve-- 7,a7 identification of new potential domestic mineral resources and trends2 7,b7 characterization and mapping of domestic mineral resources2 7,c7 statistical capabilities of the ,united ,states1 with respect to domestic and global mineral resources2 7,d7 environmental performance of mining and mineral recovery1 including-- 7i7 reducing air emissions and improving water management2 7ii7 improving energy efficiency2 and 7iii7 minimizing tailings and other waste1 mining footprint1 and environmental impact2 7,e7 efficiency and productivity of mining1 including co-mineral and byproduct recovery1 mineral processing1 and resource utilization2 7,f7 data collection1 analytics1 and sharing2 7,g7 mine safety2 7,h7 mine reclamation1 remediation1 and reuse2 7,i7 community engagement1 consultation with ,indian ,tribes1 and social perception of mining2 7,j7 emerging and new technologies for mineral recovery from unconventional sources2 7,k7 training and education for the mining workforce2 and 7,l7 the usable lifespan of products containing critical minerals through reuse1 repurposing1 and repairability4 7#b7 ,research and development areas of focus ,in carrying out the initiative1 the ,secretary1 in coordination with the ,secretary of the ,interior1 shall focus research1 development1 deployment1 and commercialization activities in areas related to-- 7,a7 mineral exploration1 discovery1 and characterization science and technology1 including-- 7i7 geophysical surveys2 7ii7 geochemical surveys2 7iii7 uncrewed survey platforms1 including uncrewed aerial vehicles2 7iv7 proximal sensing1 including automatic spectroscopic scanning of drilling cores2 7v7 characterizing mine waste1 including mine-influenced water2 and 7vi7 other advanced technologies2 7,b7 mineral production and mine remediation and closure1 including-- 7i7 advanced drilling1 sampling1 and extraction technologies2 7ii7 mine design1 including innovations that maximize resource use1 environmental benefit1 and end uses of land2 7iii7 digital mining solutions2 7iv7 in-situ mineral recovery and other advanced extraction techniques2 7v7 processing techniques1 including-- 7,i7 geometallurgy2 7,,ii7 beneficiation2 7,,iii7 extraction from increasingly low-grade ores and deeper mines2 7,,iv7 co-mineral and byproduct recovery2 7,v7 multimineral refining2 7,,vi7 whole rock processing2 and 7,,vii7 greenhouse gas reduction and sequestration2 and 7vi7 remediation techniques1 including-- 7,i7 reclamation2 7,,ii7 tailings and waste management2 and 7,,iii7 extraction and reprocessing of valued materials from waste on abandoned mine land and at active and inactive mine sites2 7,c7 critical mineral recycling technologies1 including battery recycling2 7,d7 social acceptance of mining and mineral processes1 technologies1 and projects1 including-- 7i7 research to identify perspectives and priorities of communities local to prospective mining sites2 7ii7 research to identify strategies for community engagement and potential short-term and long-term benefits of mining for local communities2 7iii7 research to provide socially-informed technology research1 design1 and development priorities2 7iv7 best practices for developing community benefit agreements and plans that address community priorities and mitigate potential environmental and economic harm that may result from mining2 and 7v7 consultation and engagement with ,indian ,tribes2 and 7,e7 other research areas1 as determined by the ,secretary1 to support the program4 7#c7 ,areas of focus for reevaluation ,not less frequently than once every #e years1 the ,secretary1 in carrying out the initiative in coordination with the ,secretary of the ,interior1 shall consult with ,indian ,tribes1 representatives from academic institutions 7including mining universities71 ,national ,laboratories1 and the mining industry-- 7,a7 to reevaluate the status of1 and opportunities for1 mineral and mining research and development2 and 7,b7 to revise the list of areas described in paragraph 7#b77;,e74 7d7 ,coordination ,in carrying out this section1 the ,secretary shall coordinate with the ,secretary of the ,interior through1 at a minimum-- 7#a7 interagency activities associated with the research1 development1 deployment1 and commercialization of hard rock mining and unconventional mineral recovery technologies2 7#b7 leveraging existing mineral research within ,federal agencies2 7#c7 engagement with industry1 academia1 ,indian ,tribes1 and nongovernmental entities to identify innovation gaps and opportunities related to minerals and mining2 7#d7 alignment of applied academic and ,federal mineral and mining research and development with economic1 energy1 and national security needs2 and 7#e7 certification or validation of emerging technologies or best practices that demonstrate significant economic1 environmental1 and security benefits1 including resource optimization1 environmental sustainability1 community engagement1 and workforce development2 and 7e7 ,collaboration 7#a7 ,in general ,in carrying out this section1 the ,secretary and the ,secretary of the ,interior may enter into cooperative agreements1 contracts1 or other arrangements1 including partnerships1 with ,indian ,tribes and academic1 public1 private1 and nongovernmental entities located in the ,united ,states1 any territory or possession of the ,united ,states1 or a country described in subparagraph 7,b7 or 7,c7 of section #ab7c7 of the ,strategic and ,critical ,materials ,stock ,piling ,act 7#ej ,u4,s4,c4 #ih;h-#c7c774 7#b7 ,prioritization ,in carrying out paragraph 7#a71 the ,secretary and the ,secretary of the ,interior shall1 to the maximum extent practicable1 prioritize entering into cooperative agreements1 contracts1 or other arrangements with academic institutions1 including mining universities4 7f7 ,report ,not later than #c years after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary and the ,secretary of the ,interior shall submit to ,congress a report describing the results of the duties carried out under subsection 7c74 7g7 ,authorization of appropriations ,there is authorized to be appropriated to the ,secretary to carry out this section #ajj1jjj1jjj for each of fiscal years #bjbf through #bjce1 to remain available until expended4