To require a report on a program on the return of rare earth phosphors from Department of Defense fluorescent lighting waste to the domestic rare earth supply chain.

1. Adds SEC. 1064. REPORT ON PROGRAM ON RETURN OF RARE EARTH PHOSPHORS FROM DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE FLUORESCENT LIGHTING WASTE TO THE DOMESTIC RARE EARTH SUPPLY CHAIN at the end of subtitle F of title X

   Adds a section

   In S. 3254 · Placed on Calendar Senate

   Section 234 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1998 (Public Law 105-85; 111 Stat. 1664; 50 U.S.C. 2367) is repealed.

   Inserted: SEC. 1064. REPORT ON PROGRAM ON RETURN OF RARE EARTH PHOSPHORS FROM DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE FLUORESCENT LIGHTING WASTE TO THE DOMESTIC RARE EARTH SUPPLY CHAIN.

   Inserted: (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:

   Inserted: (1) In its December 2011 report entitled "Critical Materials Strategy", the Department of Energy states that the heavy rare earth phosphors, dysprosium, europium, terbium, and yttrium, are particularly important given their relative scarcity and their importance to clean energy, energy efficiency, hybrid and electric vehicles, and advanced defense systems, among other key technologies.

   Inserted: (2) While new sources of production of rare earth elements show promise, these are focused primarily on the light rare earth elements.

   Inserted: (b) Sense of Senate.--It is the sense of the Senate that--

   Inserted: (1) the recycling of end-use technologies that use rare earth elements can provide near-term opportunities to recapture, reprocess, and reuse some of the rare earth elements contained in them;

   Inserted: (2) fluorescent lighting materials could prove to be a promising recyclable source of heavy rare earth elements;

   Inserted: (3) a cost-benefit analysis would be helpful in determining the viability of a Department of Defense program to recycle fluorescent lighting waste in order to increase its supplies of heavy rare earth elements; and

   Inserted: (4) the recycling of heavy rare earth elements may be one component of a long term strategic plan to address the global demand for such elements, without which such elements could be unnecessarily lost.

   Inserted: (c) Report Required.--

   Inserted: (1) In general.--Not later than March 1, 2013, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report on the results of a cost-benefit analysis on, and on recommendations concerning, the feasibility and advisability of establishing a program within the Department of Defense to--

   Inserted: (A) recapture fluorescent lighting waste; and

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   Inserted: (B) make such waste available to entities that have the ability to extract rare earth phosphors, reprocess and separate them in an environmentally safe manner, and return them to the domestic rare earth supply chain.

   Inserted: (2) Elements.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall include analysis of measures that could be taken to--

   Inserted: (A) provide for the disposal and mitigation of residual mercury and other hazardous byproducts to be produced by the recycling process; and

   Inserted: (B) address concerns regarding the potential export of heavy rare earth materials obtained from United States Government sources to non-allied nations.

   Original wording

   At the end of subtitle F of title X, add the following:

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As printed