US House of Representatives approves 2024 Critical Mineral Consistency Act

From Mining.com

The US House of Representatives has passed the Critical Mineral Consistency Act of 2024 with bipartisan support of Republicans and Democrats.

The bill modifies the Energy Act of 2020 to expand the definition of critical minerals to include critical materials designated by the Department of Energy (DOE).

Under current law, DOE’s critical materials list contains certain materials that are essential for energy, including those on the critical minerals list of the US Geological Survey (USGS).

The USGS’s list, which contains certain minerals that are essential to the nation’s economic or national security, is not required to include the materials on DOE’s list. Both lists include minerals with a high risk of supply chain disruptions.

By expanding the definition of critical minerals, the bill requires the USGS to include on its list the materials on DOE’s list. Within 45 days of DOE adding a mineral, element, substance, or material to its critical materials list, the USGS must update its list.