H.R. 3617 · Where this bill is now
In the Senate
Passed the House Feb 11, 2026. Received Feb 12, 2026; no Senate vote yet
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryStrengthens U.S. critical energy resource supply chains
The bill asks the Department of Energy to figure out which energy resources are critical to keeping America's energy systems running smoothly and safe from disruptions. The agency would assess where vulnerabilities exist in how we get these resources, whether we rely too much on other countries, and how that affects our energy security. It would also work on developing backup strategies, finding substitute materials, and improving ways to reuse and recycle these resources.
How it affects you
Most people won't see direct changes in their daily lives from this bill. It's aimed at helping government planners and energy companies understand and reduce risks in the energy supply system, which could matter for long-term energy availability and prices, but the bill itself focuses on studies and strategy work rather than immediate changes to what you pay or how you use energy.
Read the official summary (Reported to House, Sep 11, 2025)
Securing America's Critical Minerals Supply Act
This bill requires the Department of Energy (DOE) to secure the supply of critical energy resources that are essential to the energy security of the United States. A critical energy resource means an energy resource (1) that is essential to the energy sector and energy systems of the United States, and (2) the supply chain of which is vulnerable to disruption.
As part of its duties, DOE must conduct ongoing assessments of
• energy resource criticality,
• the U.S. supply chain of critical energy resources and its vulnerabilities,
• the diversity of domestic critical energy resource supply chains,
• capacity constraints on the domestic production of critical energy resources,
• federal regulations affecting the domestic production or importation of critical energy resources,
• how energy security is affected by reliance on imports of critical energy resources, and
• how adversarial nations seek to exploit critical energy resource markets to undermine investment in the United States.
DOE must also
• facilitate the development of strategies to strengthen critical energy resource supply chains,
• develop substitutes and alternatives to critical energy resources, and
• improve technology that reuses and recycles critical energy resources.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionH. R. 3617
AN ACT
Securing America’s Critical Minerals Supply Act
Sponsor: Rep. John James (R-MI-10) · Introduced May 29, 2025 · Energy · 4 versions of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Feb 12, 2026: “Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.”
How Congress voted
Official roll callsHouse · On Passage · Feb 11, 2026
Passage Passed 223–206
| Party | Yes | No | Didn’t vote |
|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 9 | 205 | 0 |
| Republicans | 214 | 1 | 3 |
10 members voted against most of their party: 9 Democrats voted Yes and 1 Republicans voted No.
Congress votes on whole bills and amendments, not on single sections.