[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2184 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2184

To establish the Rare Earth Policy Task Force, to direct the Secretary 
  of the Interior to develop a plan to ensure the long-term supply of 
             rare earth materials, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 15, 2011

   Mr. Coffman of Colorado introduced the following bill; which was 
referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the 
    Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, 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 
                               concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To establish the Rare Earth Policy Task Force, to direct the Secretary 
  of the Interior to develop a plan to ensure the long-term supply of 
             rare earth materials, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Rare Earth Policy Task Force and 
Materials Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) Significant quantities of rare earths are used in the 
        production of clean energy technologies, including advanced 
        automotive propulsion batteries, electric motors, high-
        efficiency light bulbs, solar panels, and wind turbines. These 
        technologies are used to advance the United States energy 
        policy of reducing dependence on foreign oil and decreasing 
        greenhouse gas emissions through expansion of cleaner sources 
        of energy.
            (2) Many modern defense technologies such as radar and 
        sonar systems, precision-guided weapons, cruise missiles, and 
        lasers cannot be built, as designed and specified, without the 
        use of rare earths and materials produced from them.
            (3) Rare earths also provide core functionality to a 
        variety of high technology applications in computing, pollution 
        abatement, power generation, water treatment, oil refining, 
        metal alloying, communications, health care, agriculture, and 
        other sectors.
            (4) Though at least 40 percent of the world's rare earth 
        reserves are located within the United States and its ally 
        nations, our country now depends upon imports for nearly 100 
        percent of its rare earth needs.

SEC. 3. ACTIONS TO PROMOTE RARE EARTH DEVELOPMENT.

    (a) In General.--
            (1) Establishment.--There is established within the 
        Department of the Interior a task force to be known as the 
        ``Rare Earth Policy Task Force'' (referred to in this section 
        as the ``Task Force''), which shall report to the President 
        through the Secretary of the Interior.
            (2) Composition.--The Task Force shall be composed of the 
        following:
                    (A) The Secretary of the Interior (or a designee of 
                such Secretary), who shall serve as chair of the Task 
                Force.
                    (B) The Secretary of Energy (or a designee of such 
                Secretary).
                    (C) The Secretary of Agriculture (or a designee of 
                such Secretary).
                    (D) The Secretary of Defense (or a designee of such 
                Secretary).
                    (E) The Secretary of Commerce (or a designee of 
                such Secretary).
                    (F) The Secretary of State (or a designee of such 
                Secretary).
                    (G) The Director of the Office of Management and 
                Budget (or a designee of the Director).
                    (H) The Chairman of the Council on Environmental 
                Quality (or a designee of the Chairman).
                    (I) Such other members as the Secretary of the 
                Interior considers appropriate.
    (b) Duties.--The Task Force shall assist Federal agencies in 
reviewing laws (including regulations) and policies that discourage 
investment in, exploration for, and development of domestic rare earths 
pursuant to Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, the Act of 
June 4, 1897, the National Forest Management Act of 1976, and any other 
applicable statutory authorities related to domestic mining operations.
    (c) Annual Reports.--At least once each year, the Task Force shall 
submit to the President, the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 
of the Senate, the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of 
Representatives, and the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of 
Representatives a report that identifies the substantive and procedural 
requirements of Federal, State, tribal, and local laws (including 
regulations) and Executive orders that are inconsistent with, 
duplicative of, or structured so as to restrict effective 
implementation of projects that will increase investment in, 
exploration for, and development of domestic rare earths.
    (d) Termination.--The Task Force shall terminate 10 years after the 
date of the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 4. RARE EARTH MATERIALS PROGRAM PLAN.

    (a) Plan.--
            (1) In general.--Within 180 days after the date of 
        enactment of this Act and biennially thereafter, the Secretary 
        of the Interior shall prepare and submit to the appropriate 
        congressional committees a plan for research, development, 
        demonstration, and commercial application to ensure the long-
        term, secure, and sustainable supply of rare earth materials 
        sufficient to satisfy the national security, economic well-
        being, and industrial production needs of the United States.
            (2) Specific requirements.--The plan shall include a 
        description of--
                    (A) the research and development activities to be 
                carried out under the plan during the subsequent 2 
                years;
                    (B) the expected contributions of those activities 
                to the creation of innovative methods and technologies 
                for the efficient and sustainable provision of rare 
                earth materials to the domestic economy; and
                    (C) how the plan will promote the broadest possible 
                participation in those activities by academic, 
                industrial, and other contributors.
            (3) Consultation.--In preparing each plan under paragraph 
        (1), the Secretary of the Interior shall consult with 
        appropriate representatives of industry, institutions of higher 
        education, Department of Energy national laboratories, 
        professional and technical societies, and other entities, as 
        determined by the Secretary.
    (b) Activities.--The plan shall support activities to--
            (1) better characterize and quantify virgin stocks of rare 
        earth materials using theoretical geochemical research;
            (2) explore, discover, and recover rare earth materials 
        using advanced science and technology;
            (3) improve methods for the extraction, processing, use, 
        recovery, and recycling of rare earth materials;
            (4) improve the understanding of the performance, 
        processing, and adaptability in engineering designs of rare 
        earth materials;
            (5) identify and test alternative materials that can be 
        substituted for rare earth materials in particular 
        applications;
            (6) engineer and test applications that--
                    (A) use recycled rare earth materials;
                    (B) use alternative materials; or
                    (C) seek to minimize rare earth materials content;
            (7) collect, catalogue, archive, and disseminate 
        information on rare earth materials, including scientific and 
        technical data generated by the research and development 
        activities supported under the plan, and assist scientists and 
        engineers in making the fullest possible use of the data 
        holdings; and
            (8) facilitate information sharing and collaboration among 
        program participants and stakeholders.
    (c) Improved Processes and Technologies.--To the maximum extent 
practicable, the Secretary of the Interior shall support new or 
significantly improved processes and technologies as compared to those 
currently in use in the rare earth materials industry.
    (d) Expanding Participation.--The Secretary of the Interior shall 
encourage--
            (1) multidisciplinary collaborations among participants in 
        activities under the plan; and
            (2) extensive opportunities for students at institutions of 
        higher education, including institutions listed under section 
        371(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
        1067q(a)).
    (e) Consistency.--The plan shall be consistent with the policies 
and programs in the National Materials and Minerals Policy, Research 
and Development Act of 1980 (30 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.).
    (f) International Collaboration.--In carrying out activities under 
the plan, the Secretary of the Interior may collaborate, to the extent 
practicable, on activities of mutual interest with the relevant 
agencies of foreign countries with interests relating to rare earth 
materials.
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