Bill > HR5410

This bill directs the Secretary of Energy to support research and development on extracting critical minerals from brine (salty water), with the goal of reducing the United States' dependence on imported minerals. The Secretary will be responsible for supporting research to scale up and evaluate extraction technologies, and conducting demonstrations in collaboration with private industry to improve performance and reduce costs. Within one year of the bill's enactment, the Secretary of Energy, in coordination with the Secretaries of Commerce and Defense, must submit a report to specific congressional committees assessing the technical and economic feasibility of brine mineral extraction, identifying potential barriers to domestic use, and exploring federal-private partnership options. The bill authorizes $2 million in funding for each fiscal year from 2026 through 2030 to support these research and development efforts. The broader context is to develop innovative, potentially more cost-efficient and environmentally friendly methods of obtaining critical minerals that are essential for various high-tech and strategic industries.

Business and Industry

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/5410/all-info