Critical Mineral Dominance Act
H.R. 4090 would codify and expand a set of Executive Order-directed priorities for domestic hardrock mining. Its stated aim is to position the United States as a leading producer of hardrock minerals (including rare earths) to create jobs, strengthen supply chains, bolster national security, and reduce adversaries’ influence. The bill would require ongoing analyses of import reliance, establish a process to identify and fast-track certain federal-land mining projects, identify federal lands with mining potential, subject existing regulations to a review for undue burdens, and accelerate nationwide mapping of mineral resources. Overall, it moves administrative actions and planning toward more rapid permitting and production on federal lands, coupled with data-driven reporting and regulatory reform. Key elements include: mandatory reporting on import reliance for minerals, a streamlined process to identify and fast-track priority mining projects on federal land, annual inventories of lands with mining potential, a regulatory review to identify and suspend or revise unduly burdensome actions, and a focus on accelerating geologic mapping to locate new deposits. The bill defines hardrock minerals broadly and clarifies what lands and activities fall under federal jurisdiction.
Key Points
- 1Codifies a national policy to position the United States as a leading producer of hardrock minerals (including rare earths) to support jobs, secure supply chains, national security, and reduce adversaries’ influence.
- 2Section 2: Economic analysis of import reliance
- 3- Within 90 days of enactment, the Secretary must report to Congress the dollar value of U.S. reliance on imports for minerals listed in USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2025 and the overall economic impact of imports/exports for those minerals.
- 4- Starting in 2026, the Secretary (via USGS) must include this information in each Mineral Commodity Summaries publication.
- 5Section 3: Priority mining projects
- 6- Within 10 days of enactment and annually thereafter, the Secretary (with the Agriculture Secretary) must list federal-land mining projects with active permit or plan-of-operations applications and identify which projects can be immediately approved or accelerated, taking actions to expedite approvals.
- 7- Also within 10 days of enactment, a separate list of federal-land mining projects with potential to increase hardrock production or byproducts (including tailings) must be provided.
- 8Section 4: Mining potential on federal land
- 9- The Secretary must identify federal lands suitable for exploration, development, or production of hardrock minerals (including lands open to mining under the Mining Law of 1872) where exploration is underway, minerals may be present but not fully explored, or known recoverable minerals exist.
- 10- Prioritize lands where projects can be quickly permitted and would most improve domestic mineral supply chains.
- 11- Annually publish a list of identified lands.
- 12Section 5: Regulatory review
- 13- Within 90 days, the Secretary (with the Agriculture Secretary) must review agency actions that burden mining exploration and development, solicit industry feedback, and begin implementing an action plan to suspend, revise, or rescind unduly burdensome actions.
- 14- Within 180 days, the Secretary must provide a Congress-facing report with recommended legal changes to advance the policy and a nationwide review of state/local laws that impede mining development.
- 15Section 6: Map baby map
- 16- Prioritize geologic mapping to identify unknown hardrock mineral deposits; report within one year on progress and the anticipated completion date of the broader mapping and data integration effort referenced in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
- 17Section 7: Definitions
- 18- Clarifies terms: Federal land (National Forest System land, public lands, and land eligible for hardrock mineral leasing); hardrock mineral (broadly, metals, gemstones, etc., but excluding coal, oil, gas, and certain minerals governed by other Acts); public lands as defined by FLPMA; Secretary as Secretary of the Interior.