H.R. 4090 · Passed House · Energy

Critical Mineral Dominance Act

What it does

Direct the Department of the Interior to identify priority mining projects on federal lands that can be immediately approved and expedite their permitting.
Instruct Interior to identify active, inactive, or proposed mining projects with potential to increase hardrock mineral production, expand existing operations to include byproducts, or produce minerals from mine tailings
Require Interior to suspend, revise, or rescind agency actions placing undue burdens on mining projects and recommend statutory changes to expand U.S. hardrock mineral production.
Mandate Interior to identify federal lands with potential for hardrock mining, prioritizing projects that can be quickly permitted and have greatest effect on domestic mineral supply chains.

Official summary

Critical Mineral Dominance Act This bill directs the Department of the Interior to address mineral supply chain vulnerabilities, including by accelerating and expanding mineral production on federal land (i.e., National Forest System land, public lands, and any land that may be leased for the exploration, development, or production of hardrock minerals). Interior must (1) identify priority mining projects on federal lands that can be immediately approved, and (2) take all necessary and appropriate steps to expedite those projects. Interior must also identify active, inactive, or proposed mining projects on federal land that have the potential to (1) increase production of hardrock minerals or their byproducts, (2) expand existing operations to include such byproducts, or (3) produce hardrock minerals from mine tailings or coal byproducts. Further, Interior must identify certain federal land with potential for hardrock mining. Interior must prioritize identifying land where a mining project (1) can most quickly be fully permitted and operational, and (2) would have the greatest potential effect on the robustness of the domestic mineral supply chain. Interior must (1) suspend…

Latest action

Jul 15, 2026: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining. Hearings held.

Committee: Senate Public Lands, Forests, and Mining Subcommittee