Sense of Congress

(a) In general It is the sense of Congress that— (1) critical minerals are essential inputs for a wide range of advanced and emerging technologies, including energy systems, semiconductors, advanced manufacturing, and defense applications, and continued innovation in their use and production is vital to United States technological leadership; (2) innovation in critical minerals extraction, separation, processing, refining, recycling, and substitution technologies remains insufficient to meet projected United States demand and requires accelerated research, development, and commercialization efforts; (3) cooperation with United States partner countries possessing complementary scientific, technological, and industrial capabilities enhances the ability of the United States to advance innovation across the critical minerals value chain; (4) joint research and development initiatives with partner countries can accelerate breakthroughs in cost-effective, sustainable, and scalable approaches to critical minerals production and use; (5) allied collaboration in materials science, mineral production and extraction technologies, mineral processing technologies, and advanced manufacturing can reduce dependence on legacy methods and enable the development of next-generation technologies; (6) innovation in recycling, recovery, and reuse approaches for critical minerals presents a significant opportunity to expand supply while reducing environmental impact and resource constraints; (7) the development of substitute materials and alternative technologies can mitigate reliance on scarce or supply-constrained critical minerals and enhance long-term technological resilience; (8) shared research infrastructure, data, and scientific expertise among partner countries can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of innovation efforts related to critical minerals; (9) public-private partnerships involving governments, research institutions, and industry are essential to advancing innovation and scaling new technologies in order to bridge the valley of death in the critical minerals sector; (10) strengthening collaboration among universities, national laboratories, and private-sector entities across partner countries enhances talent development and supports a robust, market-responsive innovation ecosystem; (11) establishing formal bilateral and multilateral mechanisms for cooperation in critical minerals innovation enables sustained, long-term collaboration and more rapid response to emerging technological challenges; (12) dedicated funding and streamlined authorities for joint innovation initiatives reduce barriers to collaboration and enable more agile development and deployment of critical minerals technologies so as to accelerate the transition of technologies in research and development phases to operational deployment, government integration, and commercial application; (13) advancing innovation in critical minerals technologies is essential to maintaining United States leadership in critical and emerging technologies and supporting long-term economic and national security; and (14) activities under this title should be aligned with existing critical mineral and energy security initiatives. (b) Regarding the National Science and Technology Council It is the sense of Congress that— (1) the Director should serve as a liaison to the National Science and Technology Council Subcommittee on International Science and Technology Coordination for the purpose of— (A) determining primary areas of cooperation that are mutually beneficial to both the United States and countries and entities participating in the program; and (B) when appropriate, creating an action plan to carry out the implementation of the program; and (2) in carrying out paragraph (1), the Director and the National Science and Technology Council are encouraged to consult, as appropriate, with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and other relevant scientific and technical organizations to inform the identification and selection of priority areas of cooperation. (c) Regarding coordination with National Defense Technology and Industrial Base Council It is the sense of Congress that— (1) the Department of State, in coordination with the countries and entities participating in the program, should submit technologies supported under the program for consideration to the National Defense Technology and Industrial Base Council to accelerate the transition of commercial technologies developed under the program from research and development to operational deployment, government integration, and commercial application; and (2) technologies should be considered by the Council if they have been— (A) created through the program and approved for council submission by the United States and countries and entities participating in the program; or (B) determined to be eligible and submitted for consideration by an allied or partner country.