H.R. 3198 — Intergovernmental Critical Minerals Task Force Act

This section states the following congressional findings on critical minerals and U.S. national security: (1) current supply chains pose a great risk; (2) critical minerals are necessary for transportation, technology, renewable energy, military equipment, and other relevant sectors; (3) in 2022, the United States was 100% import reliant for 12 of 50 critical minerals and more than 50% import reliant for an additional 31, with China as the top producer for 30 of those 50; (4) as of July 2023, Chinese companies extracting critical minerals worldwide have received hundreds of human rights violation charges; and (5) a 2014 World Trade Organization ruling found China's export restraints on rare earth metals violated the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 and China's WTO accession protocol.

This section establishes an intergovernmental critical minerals task force (i.e., "task force") within the Executive Office of the President, not later than 90 days after enactment, to assess U.S. reliance on China and other covered countries (i.e., covered nations per 10 U.S.C. 4872(d) or other geostrategic competitors) for critical minerals (as defined in the Energy Act of 2020, 30 U.S.C. 1606(a)), evaluate associated national security risks, recommend actions to secure domestic supply chains and reduce such reliance, and coordinate responses across federal, Indian Tribe (per 25 U.S.C. 5304), state, local, and territorial governments. The President must designate a Chairperson or Co-Chairpersons from specified Executive Office positions (e.g., Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs), who will appoint representatives from at least 24 specified federal entities (e.g., Bureau of Indian Affairs, Department of Energy, U.S. Geological Survey) and consult diverse stakeholders including Indian Tribes, states, industry, labor, and academia. The task force must hold its initial meeting not later than 90 days after appointments and meet at least quarterly to carry out its duties, including facilitating intergovernmental cooperation on critical minerals.