STRATA Act of 2026

(1) critical minerals are essential inputs for a wide range of advanced and emerging technologies, including energy systems, semiconductors, advanced manufacturing, and defense applications, and continued innovation in their use and production is vital to United States technological leadership;

(2) innovation in critical minerals extraction, separation, processing, refining, recycling, and substitution technologies remains insufficient to meet projected United States demand and requires accelerated research, development, and commercialization efforts;

(3) cooperation with United States partner countries possessing complementary scientific, technological, and industrial capabilities enhances the ability of the United States to advance innovation across the critical minerals value chain;

(4) joint research and development initiatives with partner countries can accelerate breakthroughs in cost-effective, sustainable, and scalable approaches to critical minerals production and use;

(5) allied collaboration in materials science, mineral production and extraction technologies, mineral processing technologies, and advanced manufacturing can reduce dependence on legacy methods and enable the development of next-generation technologies;

(6) innovation in recycling, recovery, and reuse approaches for critical minerals presents a significant opportunity to expand supply while reducing environmental impact and resource constraints;

(7) the development of substitute materials and alternative technologies can mitigate reliance on scarce or supply-constrained critical minerals and enhance long-term technological resilience;

(8) shared research infrastructure, data, and scientific expertise among partner countries can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of innovation efforts related to critical minerals;

(9) public-private partnerships involving governments, research institutions, and industry are essential to advancing innovation and scaling new technologies in order to bridge the valley of death in the critical minerals sector;

(10) strengthening collaboration among universities, national laboratories, and private-sector entities across partner countries enhances talent development and supports a robust, market-responsive innovation ecosystem;

(11) establishing formal bilateral and multilateral mechanisms for cooperation in critical minerals innovation enables sustained, long-term collaboration and more rapid response to emerging technological challenges;

(12) dedicated funding and streamlined authorities for joint innovation initiatives reduce barriers to collaboration and enable more agile development and deployment of critical minerals technologies so as to accelerate the transition of technologies in research and development phases to operational deployment, government integration, and commercial application;

(13) advancing innovation in critical minerals technologies is essential to maintaining United States leadership in critical and emerging technologies and supporting long-term economic and national security; and

(14) activities under this Act should be aligned with existing critical mineral and energy security initiatives.

(1) the term appropriate congressional committees means—

(A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives; and

(B) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate;

(2) the term country of concern means—

(A) the Russian Federation;

(B) the Republic of Cuba;

(C) Burma;

(D) the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea;

(E) the Islamic Republic of Iran; and

(F) the People’s Republic of China;

(3) the term country of concern entity means—

(A) a foreign entity subject to the jurisdiction of, or organized under the laws of, a country of concern;

(B) a foreign entity that is more than 25 percent owned, directed, controlled, financed, or influenced directly or indirectly by the Government of the People’s Republic of China, the Chinese Communist Party, or the Chinese military, including any entity for which the Government of the People’s Republic of China, the Chinese Communist Party, or the Chinese military has the ability, through ownership of a majority or a dominant minority of the total outstanding voting interest in the entity, board representation, proxy voting, a special share, contractual arrangements, formal or informal arrangements to act in concert, or other means, to determine, direct, or decide for the entity in an important manner; or

(C) a foreign entity owned, directed, or controlled by a foreign entity described in subparagraph (A) or (B);

(4) the term critical mineral —

(A) means any mineral on the list of critical minerals required by section 7002(c)(3) of the Energy Act of 2020 (30 U.S.C. 1606(c)(3)) on or after January 1, 2026; and

(B) includes—

(i) Helium-3; and

(ii) Helium-4;

(5) the term Director means the head of the program appointed under section 101(b);

(6) the term program means the Critical Minerals Innovation Partnership Program established under section 101(a); and

(7) the term Secretary means the Secretary of State.

There is established in the Department of State a program, to be known as the Critical Minerals Innovation Partnership Program, to support the development and adoption of critical minerals innovative technologies with countries and entities, through the establishment of partnerships with such countries and entities, in order to enhance the national security, support the economic competitiveness, and diversify the critical supply chains of the United States.

The Secretary—

(1) shall appoint an individual to be the Director of the program, who shall be responsible to the Under Secretary of Economic Affairs for—

(A) matters pertaining to the administration and implementation of the program, including coordinating with the Federal agencies listed in section 105(a)(3); and

(B) such other related duties as the Secretary may from time to time designate; and

(2) if the Secretary determines that it is appropriate, may appoint the Director from among officers and employees of the Department of State.

The Secretary may take into account any considerations in the Secretary’s discretion when considering whether a country is eligible to participate in the program, which may include—

(1) the country is an allied or partner country as described in section 2350a(a)(2) of title 10, United States Code;

(2) the Secretary determines that the country is strategically or commercially important to the United States; and

(3) the Secretary determines that the country has the capacity and commitment to participate in the program.

The Secretary may take into account any considerations in the Secretary’s discretion when considering whether an entity is eligible to participate in the program if the entity—

(1) is—

(A) an institution of higher education (as such term is defined in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)));

(B) a nonprofit institution;

(C) a federally funded research and development center;

(D) a private sector entity; or

(E) a consortia of entities described in subparagraphs (A) through (D); and

(2) is not a foreign entity of concern (as such term is defined in section 10612(a)(2) of the CHIPS Act of 2022 42 U.S.C. 19221(a)(2)).

In selecting countries under subsection (a) to participate in the program, the Secretary shall, to the maximum extent practicable, give preference to countries that—

(1) are a party to a trade or economic cooperation agreement with the United States; or

(2) participate in other bilateral or multilateral initiatives, frameworks, or agreements that are identified by the President as promoting United States foreign policy, economic security, or national security objectives, including normalization agreements, regional integration efforts, or strategic economic partnerships.

The Secretary may not establish partnerships with any country of concern or country of concern entity.

Not later than 30 days before entering into a partnership with a country or entity under the program, the Director shall—

(1) notify the appropriate congressional committees regarding the proposed partnership;

(2) transmit to the appropriate congressional committees the text of the partnership; and

(3) provide to the appropriate congressional committees an in-person briefing regarding the partnership.

Each partnership with a country or entity participating in the program shall include the following elements:

(1) Specific objectives that the country or entity and the United States expect to achieve.

(2) The responsibilities of the country or entity and the United States in the achievement of such objectives.

(3) Regular, quantitative benchmarks to measure, where appropriate progress towards achieving such objectives.

(4) A multiyear plan that—

(A) estimates the amount of contributions, commitments, and other participation to be provided by the United States and the country or entity;

(B) identifies proposed mechanisms to implement the plan and provide oversight; and

(C) describes how the such objectives will be met, including the role of the private sector or third countries in the achievement of the objectives.

(5) As appropriate, a description of the current and potential participation of other donor countries or entities in the achievement of such objectives.

(6) A preferred method of dispute resolution, unless already covered under a related Science and Technology Agreement, with the country or entity.

(7) A preferred method of intellectual property allocation, unless already covered under a related Science and Technology Agreement, with the country or entity.

(8) General terms governing notification of the discovery of potentially classifiable or otherwise controlled information, unless already covered under a related Science and Technology Agreement, country or entity.

(9) As appropriate, a process or processes for considering—

(A) solicited proposals; and

(B) unsolicited proposals by national, regional, and local government and private corporations, including, where applicable, the use of the digital platform established under section 202 to facilitate submission, review, and coordination of such proposals.

The Director shall be responsible for—

(1) establishing dialogue with the representatives of countries and entities participating in the program to—

(A) evaluate proposals submitted through national coordinators; and

(B) recommend joint funding, coordinated procurement, or other joint efforts, as appropriate;

(2) developing and maintaining multinational strategy and roadmaps identifying vulnerabilities, capacity gaps, and priority investment areas across emerging technology for critical mineral supply chains;

(3) directing the program, which may include the Centers of Excellence established under title II, in consultation with such Federal departments and agencies as the Secretary determines relevant, to issue joint or coordinated solicitations, including calls for proposals, grant challenge programs, and co-funded initiatives, to address cross-cutting challenges, which may include—

(A) identifying high-impact priorities, providing technical assistance, and identifying priority innovation, research, and development needs, and in carrying out such activities the Director shall consult with, as appropriate—

(i) the White House Office of Science and Technology policy; and

(ii) the Department of Energy with respect to the development of National Laboratory partnerships and identification of priority critical minerals innovation activities;

(B) aligning with the capabilities, constraints, and priorities of United States financing agencies, and in carrying out such activities the Director shall consult with, as appropriate—

(i) the United States International Development Finance Corporation with respect to development finance support including feasibility funding, technical assistance, debt, equity, and political risk assurance for eligible projects;

(ii) the Export-Import Bank of the United States with respect to export credit and related financing for resulting United States export opportunities; and

(iii) the United States Trade and Development Agency with respect to project preparation, feasibility studies, pilot projects and technical assistance; and

(C) consulting with any other Federal agency that the Secretary determines is appropriate, including—

(i) the National Science Foundation;

(ii) the Department of Defense;

(iii) the Department of Commerce;

(iv) the Department of Transportation;

(v) the National Security Council;

(vi) the National Aeronautics and Space Administration; and

(vii) the Department of the Treasury;

(4) convening and coordinating governments of such countries, international institutions, development agencies, and trusted industry partners to align technical standards to enable interoperable technology ecosystems consistent with shared security and economic interests;

(5) establishing mechanisms to aggregate and coordinate demand for critical minerals and associated technologies among domestic agencies, allied governments, and private sector entities to enhance market certainty, enable long-term offtake arrangements, and support investment in diversified and secure supply chains;

(6) articulating and recommending priority project areas for execution by other relevant Federal departments and agencies;

(7) serving as the recipient for unsolicited proposals for projects to be considered for inclusion in any partnership, by national, regional, and local governments and private companies;

(8) coordinating safeguards and trust mechanisms, including—

(A) eligibility criteria for such countries and entities;

(B) establish data governance and security protocols;

(C) supply chain transparency requirements;

(D) protections for sensitive technologies; and

(E) create monitoring, reporting and verification approaches; and

(9) monitoring outcomes and reporting on progress, including metrics related to—

(A) supply chain resilience; and

(B) deployment timelines.

The Director may—

(1) enter into contracts for required technical support related to partnerships with countries and entities participating in the program; and

(2) make grants and enter into cooperative agreements with such countries and entities that are designated by the Secretary as eligible to receive assistance under this paragraph to increase the administrative and technical capacity of such countries and entities to facilitate the development and implementation of the partnerships.

The Director is authorized to establish at United States overseas posts Country Teams with a designated lead to implement the partnerships with countries and entities participating in the program.

The Director may make appointments, without regard to the provisions of sections 3309 through 3318 of title 5, United States Code, of candidates directly to positions in the competitive service, as defined in section 2102 of that title, including experts and highly qualified personnel to support deployment, integration, and commercialization of technology activities, to carry out the program.

The Director may—

(1) request from heads of relevant Federal departments and agencies, on a reimbursable basis, the detail of personnel to the program, who—

(A) shall have relevant sectoral, financial, technical, or regional expertise; and

(B) shall remain, for the purpose of preserving such employee’s allowances, privileges, rights, seniority, and other benefits, an employee of the agency from which the employee is detailed; and

(2) further detail personnel of the program to relevant Federal departments and agencies that are assisting in carrying out the program.

The Secretary shall seek to establish centers, to be known as International Centers of Excellence for Innovative Critical Minerals Supply Chain Technologies, in entities participating in the program.

The purposes of the Centers shall be to—

(1) advance the development, demonstration, and deployment of innovative, responsible, and resource-efficient critical minerals extraction, processing, and recycling technologies;

(2) strengthen technical, regulatory, and institutional capacity in such countries and entities;

(3) promote transparency, traceability, and adherence to internationally recognized environmental, labor, and human rights standards; and

(4) support secure, diversified, and resilient critical minerals supply chains aligned with United States national and economic security interests.

The Centers may provide support for—

(1) applied research, pilot projects, and demonstration activities for innovative extraction and processing technologies, including low-impact and non-traditional methods;

(2) technical assistance and training to government entities, academic institutions, and private sector partners;

(3) cooperation among United States entities and country institutions, including universities, national laboratories, and industry;

(4) the development and implementation of regulatory frameworks that protect public health and safety, prevent significant environmental harm, prevent the use of forced or child labor, and improve mine site remediation and closure practices; and

(5) data-driven tools and digital systems to enhance monitoring and reporting, including with respect to—

(A) supply chain traceability;

(B) operational resource and energy usage efficiency metrics and lifecycle emissions accounting;

(C) measurements relating to air quality, water quality, land use, and site remediation;

(D) identification and mitigation risks related to labor or practices, community impact, or ecological stewardship; and

(E) promoting beneficiation, value addition, and the recycling and reuse of critical minerals.

The Centers shall be administered by the Director of the Critical Minerals Innovation Partnership Program in coordination with relevant partner nations and the Federal agencies listed in section 105(a)(3).

The Secretary shall establish and maintain a publicly accessible digital platform to facilitate participation by United States entities in activities carried out under the program.

The platform shall—

(1) serve as a centralized clearinghouse of opportunities for participation in the program, including solicitations, funding opportunities, pilot projects, and collaborative research initiatives;

(2) provide a list of priority capability gaps, technical challenges, and needs identified under paragraph (1);

(3) enable United States entities, including early-stage companies, small and medium-sized enterprises, venture-backed firms, research institutions, and consortia, to identify, apply for, and propose participation in such opportunities for participation; and

(4) support the submission of both solicited and unsolicited project proposals on a rolling basis.

In carrying out this section, the Secretary should—

(1) ensure that early-stage and venture-backed companies are actively considered for participation in partnerships and funding opportunities;

(2) develop mechanisms, as appropriate, to facilitate matchmaking between United States entities and partner country stakeholders, including industry, research institutions, and government entities;

(3) coordinate, as appropriate, with private sector investors, accelerators, and innovation hubs to increase awareness of opportunities under the program; and

(4) as appropriate, consult with—

(A) the Foreign and Commercial Service;

(B) the United States Trade and Development Agency; and

(C) the Deal Team Initiative.

It is the sense of Congress that—

(1) the Director should serve as a liaison to the National Science and Technology Council Subcommittee on International Science and Technology Coordination for the purpose of—

(A) determining primary areas of cooperation that are mutually beneficial to both the United States and countries and entities participating in the program; and

(B) when appropriate, creating an action plan to carry out the implementation of the program; and

(2) in carrying out paragraph (1), the Director and the National Science and Technology Council are encouraged to consult, as appropriate, with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and other relevant scientific and technical organizations to inform the identification and selection of priority areas of cooperation.

It is the sense of Congress that—

(1) the Department of State, in coordination with the countries and entities participating in the program, should submit technologies supported under the program for consideration to the National Defense Technology and Industrial Base Council to accelerate the transition of commercial technologies developed under the program from research and development to operational deployment, government integration, and commercial application; and

(2) technologies should be considered by the Council if they have been—

(A) created through the program and approved for council submission by the United States and countries and entities participating in the program; or

(B) determined to be eligible and submitted for consideration by an allied country (as such term is defined in section 2350a(a)(2) of title 10, United States Code).

Chapter 4 of part II of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2346 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

The President may furnish assistance under this part to countries and organizations, including national and regional institutions, to advance innovation, science, and technologies which advance scientific knowledge, enhance national security, support the commercial competitiveness of the United States.

Assistance under this section may include financing for projects that demonstrate, deploy, and scale science and technology projects related to critical minerals and energy that result from cooperation, including—

(1) advanced extraction technologies;

(2) processing and refining technologies;

(3) energy technologies;

(4) materials science and mineral substitution;

(5) recycling and recovery technologies;

(6) advanced manufacturing integration;

(7) data, mapping, and geological intelligence;

(8) environmental and resource management technologies;

(9) biotechnologies;

(10) pilot and demonstration projects;

(11) the development, construction, or operation of shared pilot or demonstration facilities in coordination with allied and partner countries;

(12) activities that support the scale-up and commercialization of technologies, including engineering, testing, and integration into existing industrial systems;

(13) partnerships with private sector entities to accelerate the transition from pilot and demonstration phases to full commercial deployment; and

(14) other critical and emerging technologies, or industry enabling science and technology which pertain to critical mineral supply chains and that are central to the economic prosperity, national security, and global leadership of the United States.

The President shall delegate responsibility for the implementation and management of assistance under this section to the Secretary of State.

Not later than 15 days before the date on which funds are obligated for assistance under this section, the Secretary of State shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives a notification that includes the amount and nature of the proposed assistance in accordance with the annual report pursuant to section 634A.

The Secretary is authorized to make available, from amounts authorized to be appropriated under the heading National Security Investment Programs in Acts making appropriations for the Department of State, foreign operations, and related programs or Acts making appropriations for National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs (including amounts authorized to be appropriated to the Economic Resilience Initiative), amounts for the purpose of establishing partnerships under the program with allied and partner countries to promote allied research, innovation, and rapid deployment of critical and emerging technologies in support of United States and allied economic and national security.

The transfer authority provided by this subsection is in addition to any other transfer authority provided by law, and is subject to the notification procedures under section 634A of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961.

The Secretary of State may not make transactions with countries of concern under this subsection.

The Secretary of State may not make transactions with or acquisitions of countries of concern entities under this subsection.

None of the funds authorized to be appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act to carry out this subsection may be obligated or expended to provide any grant, contract, loan, other financial assistance, or acquisition to an entity in which the President, or an immediate family member (as such term is defined in section 1128(j) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1320a–7(j))) of the President or Vice President holds, directly or indirectly, any ownership interest or serves in any managerial, officer, director, or board capacity.

The authorities provided under this Act and amendments made by this Act shall terminate on the date that is 10 years after the date of the enactment of this Act.

The termination under section 301 shall not apply to—

(1) any bilateral or multilateral partnership, agreement, grant, contract, or cooperative agreement entered into before the termination date; or

(2) any administrative or oversight activities necessary to close out such agreements.

Funds obligated before the termination date may continue to be expended after such date for the purposes for which they were originally authorized.