119-s2860

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2860 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 S. 2860

To unleash United States offshore critical minerals and resources, and 
 for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 September 18 (legislative day, September 16), 2025

 Mr. Sheehy (for himself, Mr. Cotton, Mrs. Blackburn, and Mrs. Britt) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
 Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

To unleash United States offshore critical minerals and resources, and 
 for other purposes.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Revitalizing America's Offshore 
Critical Minerals Dominance Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

 Congress finds that--

    (1) the United States has a core national security and 
 economic interest in maintaining leadership in deep sea science 
 and technology and seabed mineral resources;

    (2) the United States faces unprecedented economic and 
 national security challenges in securing reliable supplies of 
 critical minerals independent of foreign adversary control;

    (3) vast offshore seabed areas hold critical minerals and 
 energy resources;

    (4) offshore seabed resources are key to strengthening the 
 economy of the United States, securing the energy future, and 
 reducing dependence on foreign suppliers for critical minerals;

    (5) the United States controls seabed mineral resources in 
 1 of the largest ocean areas of the world;

    (6) the United States can, through the exercise of existing 
 authorities and by establishing international partnerships, 
 access potentially vast resources in seabed polymetallic 
 nodules, other subsea geologic structures, and coastal deposits 
 containing strategic minerals such as nickel, cobalt, copper, 
 manganese, titanium, and rare earth elements, which are vital 
 to the national security and economic prosperity of the United 
 States;

    (7) the United States must take immediate action to 
 accelerate the responsible development of seabed mineral 
 resources, quantify the endowment of seabed minerals of the 
 United States, reinvigorate United States leadership in 
 associated extraction and processing technologies, and ensure 
 secure supply chains for the defense, infrastructure, and 
 energy sectors of the United States; and

    (8) it is the policy of the United States to advance United 
 States leadership in seabed mineral development by--
        (A) rapidly developing domestic capabilities for 
 the exploration, characterization, collection, and 
 processing of seabed mineral resources through 
 streamlined permitting without compromising 
 environmental and transparency standards;
        (B) supporting investment in deep sea science, 
 mapping, and technology;
            (C) enhancing coordination among executive 
 departments and agencies with respect to seabed mineral 
 development activities described in this Act;
            (D) establishing the United States as a global 
 leader in responsible seabed mineral exploration, 
 development technologies, and practices, and as a 
 partner for countries developing seabed mineral 
 resources in areas within their national jurisdictions, 
 including their exclusive economic zones;
        (E) creating a robust domestic supply chain for 
 critical minerals derived from seabed mineral resources 
 to support economic growth, reindustrialization, and 
 military preparedness, including through new processing 
 capabilities; and
        (F) strengthening partnerships with allies and 
 industry to counter the growing influence of China over 
 seabed mineral resources, and to ensure that United 
 States companies are well-positioned to support allies 
 and partners interested in developing seabed minerals 
 responsibly in areas within their national 
 jurisdictions, including their exclusive economic 
 zones.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

 In this Act:

    (1) Commercial recovery.--The term ``commercial recovery'' 
 has the meaning given the term in 

section 4 of the Deep Seabed 
 Hard Mineral Resources Act (30 U.S.C. 1403).

    (2) Critical mineral.--The term ``critical mineral'' has 
 the meaning given the term in 

section 7002

    (a) of the Energy Act 
 of 2020 (30 U.S.C. 1606

    (a) ).

    (3) Exploration.--The term ``exploration'' has the meaning 
 given the term in 

section 4 of the Deep Seabed Hard Mineral 
 Resources Act (30 U.S.C. 1403).

    (4) Lease.--The term ``lease'' has the meaning given the 
 term in 

section 2 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 
 U.S.C. 1331).

    (5) Mineral.--The term ``mineral'' means--
        (A) a critical mineral;
        (B) uranium;
            (C) copper;
            (D) potash;
        (E) gold; and
        (F) any other element or compound that the Chair of 
 the National Energy Dominance Council determines 
 appropriate.

    (6) Outer continental shelf.--The term ``outer Continental 
 Shelf'' has the meaning given the term in 

section 2 of the 
 Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1331).

    (7) Processing.--The term ``processing'' includes the 
 concentration, separation, refinement, alloying, and conversion 
 of minerals into usable forms.

    (8) Prospecting.--The term ``prospecting'' has the meaning 
 given the term ``geological and geophysical (G&G) prospecting 
 activities'' in 

section 580.1 of title 30, Code of Federal 
 Regulations (or a successor regulation).

    (9) Seabed mineral resource.--The term ``seabed mineral 
 resource'' means a mineral-bearing material located in the 
 seabed of the outer Continental Shelf, including--
        (A) a polymetallic nodule;
        (B) a cobalt-rich ferromanganese crust;
            (C) a polymetallic sulfide;
            (D) a heavy mineral sand; and
        (E) a phosphorite.

    (10) United states company.--The term ``United States 
 company'' has the meaning given the term ``United States 
 citizen'' in 

section 4 of the Deep Seabed Hard Mineral 
 Resources Act (30 U.S.C. 1403).

SEC. 4. STRATEGIC SEABED CRITICAL MINERAL ACCESS.

    (a) Expediting Issuance of Certain Authorizations.--

    (1) Deep seabed hard mineral resources act.--Not later than 
 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
 of Commerce, acting through the Administrator of the National 
 Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in consultation with 
 the Secretary of State and Secretary of the Interior, acting 
 through the Director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, 
 shall--
        (A) expedite the process for reviewing and issuing 
 licenses for exploration and permits for commercial 
 recovery under the Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources 
 Act (30 U.S.C. 1401 et seq.); and
        (B) carry out subparagraph
        (A) in a manner ensuring 
 efficiency, predictability, and competitiveness for 
 United States companies.

    (2) Outer continental shelf lands act.--Not later than 60 
 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
 the Interior shall--
        (A) establish an expedited process for reviewing 
 and approving permits for prospecting and granting 
 leases under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 
 U.S.C. 1331 et seq.); and
        (B) carry out subparagraph
        (A) in a manner ensuring 
 efficiency, predictability, and competitiveness for 
 United States companies.

    (b) Seabed Mapping Plan.--Not later than 60 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation 
with the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Commerce, and the heads 
of other relevant Federal departments and agencies, and in cooperation 
with commercial and other nongovernmental organizations, shall develop 
a plan to map priority areas of the seabed and outer Continental Shelf 
of the United States, to include extended areas of the outer 
Continental Shelf, such as those with abundant or accessible seabed 
mineral resources, to accelerate data collection and characterization.
            (c) Identification of Certain Critical Minerals.--Not later than 60 
days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the 
Interior shall--

    (1) identify critical minerals that may be derived from 
 seabed mineral resources; and

    (2) in coordination with the Secretary of Defense and 
 Secretary of Energy, determine which critical minerals derived 
 from seabed mineral resources are essential for applications 
 such as defense infrastructure, manufacturing, and energy.
            (d) Engagement With Key Partners and Allies.--

    (1) In general.--Not later than 60 days after the date of 
 enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Commerce, in 
 coordination with the Secretary of State, Secretary of the 
 Interior, and Secretary of Energy, shall engage with key 
 partners and allies to offer support for seabed mineral 
 resource exploration, extraction, processing, and environmental 
 monitoring in areas within the jurisdictions of such key 
 partners and allies, including by--
        (A) seeking scientific collaboration and commercial 
 development opportunities for United States companies; 
 and
        (B) developing a prioritized list of foreign 
 countries for engagement.

    (2) Key partner or ally determination.--
        (A) In general.--The Secretary of State shall 
 determine whether an entity is a key partner or ally 
 for the purposes of paragraph

    (1) based on several 
 factors, including--
            (i) existing agreements with the United 
 States;
            (ii) alignment with strategic interests of 
 the United States; and
            (iii) participation in joint initiatives.
        (B) Notification.--The Secretary of State shall 
 notify the Secretary of Commerce, Secretary of the 
 Interior, and Secretary of Energy of any determination 
 made under subparagraph
        (A) .

    (e) Reports.--Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of 
this Act--

    (1) the Secretary of the Interior, in coordination with the 
 Secretary of Commerce and Secretary of Energy, and in 
 consultation with the heads of other relevant Federal 
 departments and agencies, shall submit to the Committees on 
 Energy and Natural Resources and Commerce, Science, and 
 Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Natural 
 Resources of the House of Representatives a report that 
 identifies private sector interest in and opportunities for 
 seabed mineral resource exploration and mining on the outer 
 Continental Shelf, in areas beyond national jurisdiction, and 
 in areas within the jurisdiction of a foreign country that 
 expresses interest in partnering with United States companies 
 with respect to seabed mineral resource development; and

    (2) the Secretary of the Interior, jointly with the 
 Secretary of State, Secretary of Commerce, and Secretary of 
 Energy, shall submit to the Committees on Energy and Natural 
 Resources and Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 
 Senate and the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of 
 Representatives a report regarding the feasibility of an 
 international benefit-sharing mechanism for seabed mineral 
 resource extraction and development that occurs in an area 
 beyond the jurisdiction of any country.

    (f) Rules of Construction.--Nothing in this Act--

    (1) impairs or otherwise affects the authority granted by 
 law to any executive department or agency; or

    (2) creates any right or benefit, substantive or 
 procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party 
 against the United States, any department, agency, or entity of 
 the United States, any officer, employee, or agent of the 
 United States, or any other person.
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