This bill aims to prevent critical minerals extracted from federal lands in the United States from being sold or transferred to certain foreign entities, such as terrorist organizations or those involved in espionage. It requires companies that extract these minerals to report on their sales and transfers, and gives the Department of the Interior the authority to enforce the law and impose penalties for noncompliance.
Latest Action
Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
AI Summary
Plain-English explanation of this bill
This bill aims to prevent critical minerals extracted from federal lands in the United States from being sold or transferred to certain foreign entities, such as terrorist organizations or those involved in espionage. It requires companies that extract these minerals to report on their sales and transfers, and gives the Department of the Interior the authority to enforce the law and impose penalties for noncompliance.
Last updated: 12/30/2025
Official Summary
Congressional Research Service summary
<p><strong>Securing American Critical Minerals Act of 2023</strong></p><p>This bill prohibits the transfer of critical minerals extracted or processed on federal land to foreign entities of concern and authorizes the Department of the Interior to enforce the bill's provisions. (Under the bill, a <em>critical mineral</em> is any material or other substance designated as critical by Interior.)</p><p>The bill provides that an operator that extracts or processes critical minerals on federal land may not sell or transfer such critical minerals to a designated foreign terrorist organization, an entity involved in actions that resulted in a convictionfor espionage, or other foreign entity of concern.</p><p>Additionally, such operators must annually report about these transfers to the public and certify that transferees are not foreign entities of concern. The reports must also specify the critical minerals affected, location of the operator's activities, and identity of the recipient of the mineral.</p><p>The bill authorizes Interior to address noncompliance with the bill's requirements by (1) denying a permit or other authorization; and (2) establishing administrative, civil, and criminal penalties. </p><p>Interior must annually report to Congress about its enforcement activities and operators' annual reports.</p><p>Further, Interior must collect a fee for any authorization related to extracting or processing of critical minerals on federal land, with revenues to be applied toward implementing the bill’s requirements,</p><!--tinycomments|2.1|data:application/json;base64,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-->
Key Points
Main provisions of the bill
Prohibits the sale or transfer of critical minerals extracted from federal lands to foreign entities of concern, such as terrorist groups or those involved in espionage
Requires companies extracting critical minerals from federal lands to report annually on their sales and transfers of these minerals
Authorizes the Department of the Interior to enforce the law, including by denying permits or imposing administrative, civil, and criminal penalties for noncompliance
Directs the Department of the Interior to collect fees for authorizations related to critical mineral extraction, with the revenue used to implement the law's requirements
Mandates the Department of the Interior to report annually to Congress on its enforcement activities and the reports submitted by operators
How This Impacts Americans
Potential effects on citizens and communities
If this bill becomes law, it would affect companies that extract critical minerals from federal lands in the United States, as they would be subject to new reporting requirements and penalties for selling or transferring those minerals to certain foreign entities. This could impact the operations and profits of mining companies, as well as the availability and prices of these critical minerals for American industries and consumers.
Policy Areas
Primary Policy Area
International Affairs
Scope & Jurisdiction
Jurisdiction Level
federal
Congressional Session
119th Congress
Citation Reference
5021, 119th Congress (2025). "American Decade of Sports Act". Source: Voter's Right Platform. https://votersright.org/bills/118-hr-5021
