Critical Mineral Consistency Act of 2025
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The bill would require the Interior Department to publish a combined "Critical Minerals and Materials List" merging the existing critical minerals list with the Energy Department's separate critical materials list, and to update it within 45 days whenever either agency changes its designations.
It matters because federal programs currently rely on two lists that don't always match, and aligning them would give agencies, states, and companies a single, consistent reference for which minerals qualify for critical-mineral programs, permitting, and supply-chain support.
What this bill would do
What it would do
The bill would amend the Energy Act of 2020 to require the Secretary of the Interior to publish, within 45 days of enactment, a combined Critical Minerals and Materials List that includes both the minerals Interior designates as critical and the materials the Department of Energy determines to be critical materials. It would require the list to be updated within 45 days of either agency changing its own designations, and would direct the two agencies to coordinate timing of updates where practicable. It would also require that any federal department or agency using the terms "critical mineral" or "critical material" by reference to this section use the most recently published combined list. The bill does not itself add or remove any specific mineral from either agency's underlying designation criteria; it only requires the two existing lists to be merged and kept in sync going forward.
Key provisions
- 1Would require the Secretary of the Interior to publish a combined Critical Minerals and Materials List within 45 days of enactment
- 2Would include on the combined list both Interior's designated critical minerals and Energy Department's critical materials
- 3Would require the combined list to be updated within 45 days of either agency updating its own designations
- 4Would direct Interior and the Energy Department to coordinate timing of list updates where practicable
- 5Would require other federal agencies using the statutory definitions by reference to use the most recently published combined list
Who would be affected
The Department of the Interior and Department of Energy, which must coordinate and publish the combined list; other federal agencies that rely on critical mineral or critical material definitions for permitting, grants, or supply-chain programs; and mining, materials, and manufacturing companies that depend on critical-mineral designations for eligibility in federal programs.
Why it matters
Companies and agencies currently must track two separate, sometimes inconsistent, lists of critical minerals and materials, which can create confusion about which substances qualify for federal support, permitting benefits, or supply-chain programs. A single, regularly updated combined list would reduce that inconsistency and give federal programs a common reference point.
What would change
Changes to existing law
Amends Energy Act of 2020 (30 U.S.C. 1606, Sec. 7002) (Sec. 2)
Adds a new subsection requiring a combined Critical Minerals and Materials List merging Interior's critical minerals and DOE's critical materials, updated within 45 days of changes.
Agencies directed to act
Effective dates
- Publication of the initial combined Critical Minerals and Materials List
- Updates to the combined list after either agency changes its designations
How implementation would work
Within 45 days of enactment, the Secretary of the Interior must publish the combined Critical Minerals and Materials List drawing on Interior's own critical mineral designations and the Department of Energy's critical material determinations. Whenever either agency updates its underlying designations, the combined list must be revised within 45 days of that update. The two agencies are directed to coordinate the timing of updates where practicable, and any federal agency that incorporates the statutory definitions by reference must use the most recently published version of the combined list.
Legislative status & sources
Latest action
Received in the Senate. Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 348.
Official CRS summary
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This bill modifies the Energy Act of 2020 to expand the definition of critical minerals to include critical materials designated by the Department of Energy (DOE).
Under current law, DOE's critical materials list contains certain materials that are essential for energy, including those on the critical minerals list of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The USGS's list, which contains certain minerals that are essential to the nation's economic or national security, is not required to include the materials on DOE's list. Currently, both lists include minerals with a high risk of supply chain disruptions, and both DOE and USGS must conduct a variety of efforts to ensure a secure and reliable supply chain of the minerals.
By expanding the definition of critical minerals, this bill requires the USGS to include on its list the materials on DOE's list. Within 45 days of DOE adding a mineral, element, substance, or material to its critical materials list, the USGS must update its list to include such mineral, element, substance, or material.
Legislative subjects
Energy; Metals; Mining; Strategic materials and reserves
Committee report
H. Rept. 119-519