118 HR 10375 IH: Critical Minerals Workforce Enhancement Act U.S. House of Representatives 2024-12-11 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

I118th CONGRESS2d SessionH. R. 10375IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESDecember 11, 2024Mr. Torres of New York (for himself, Mr. Moolenaar, Mr. Krishnamoorthi, Mr. Gimenez, Ms. Castor of Florida, and Ms. Stevens) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concernedA BILLTo amend the Immigration and Nationality Act and the Mutual Education and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961 to strengthen the critical minerals workforce in the United States.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Critical Minerals Workforce Enhancement Act.

2.

Engineers working in mining, refining, processing, and recycling of critical minerals

Section 203(b)(2)(B) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1153(b)(2)(B)) is amended by adding at the end the following: (iii)The Secretary of Homeland Security may grant a national interest waiver pursuant to clause (i) on behalf of any alien engineer with respect to whom a petition for preference classification has been filed under subparagraph (A) if the alien engineer agrees to work full-time for a business or Federal or State agency to advance the production (including extraction), processing (including refining), or recycling (including reuse) of critical minerals (as such term is defined in section 7002(a) of the Energy Act of 2020 (30 U.S.C. 1606(a)))..

3.

Multinational educational exchanges

Section 102 of the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2452) is amended by striking subsection (b) and inserting the following:(b)

Educational exchanges relating to critical minerals

(1)

In general

The President may support and promote educational exchanges to advance the study of the production, processing, and recycling of critical minerals, and the professional development of individuals in mining or clean energy sectors relating to the production, processing, reclamation, or recycling of critical minerals, including by—(A)providing opportunities for United States citizens to study in and obtain degrees and certifications from schools and institutions of learning located outside the United States that offer specialized instruction in the production, processing, reclamation, or recycling of critical minerals; (B)facilitating the enrollment of citizens of foreign countries in schools and institutions of learning located in the United States to pursue degrees and certifications in a field related to the production, processing, reclamation, or recycling of critical minerals; (C)supporting the development of educational partnerships and exchange programs focused on critical minerals between United States institutions and foreign institutions, including research collaborations, joint degree programs, and training initiatives to address global challenges relating to the production, processing, reclamation, or recycling of critical minerals; and(D)encouraging and providing funding for scholarships, fellowships, and grants for students and professionals engaged in international studies or training related to the production, processing, reclamation, or recycling of critical minerals.(2)

Critical minerals defined

In this subsection, the term critical minerals has the meaning given such term in section 7002(a) of the Energy Act of 2020 (30 U.S.C. 1606(a))..