S.Amdt. 1535

SA 1535. Mr. BARRASSO (for himself, Mr. Daines, Ms. Murkowski, and
Ms. Lummis) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to amendment
SA 1502 proposed by Mr. Schumer to the bill S. 1260, to establish a new
Directorate for Technology and Innovation in the National Science
Foundation, to establish a regional technology hub program, to require
a strategy and report on economic security, science, research,
innovation, manufacturing, and job creation, to establish a critical
supply chain resiliency program, and for other purposes; which was
ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

At the end of title III of division F, add the following:

SEC. 63__. TECHNOLOGY GRANTS TO STRENGTHEN DOMESTIC MINING
WORKFORCE.

(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Byproduct.--The term ``byproduct'' has the meaning
given the term in section 7002(a) of the Energy Act of 2020
(30 U.S.C. 1606(a)).
(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)), except that the term shall
not exclude materials described in paragraph (3)(B)(iii) of
that section.
(3) Mining school.--The term ``mining school'' means--

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(A) a mining, metallurgical, or mineral engineering program
or department accredited by the Accreditation Board for
Engineering and Technology, Inc. that is located at an
institution of higher education (as defined in section 101 of
the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)); and
(B) a geology or engineering program or department that is
located at an institution of higher education (as so defined)
located in a State the gross domestic product of which in
2020 was not less than $1,000,000,000 in the category
``Mining, quarrying, and oil & gas extraction'', according to
the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
(4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Energy.
(5) State.--The term ``State'' means--
(A) a State;
(B) the District of Columbia;
(C) the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico;
(D) Guam;
(E) American Samoa;
(F) the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands; and
(G) the United States Virgin Islands.
(b) Grant Program.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary, in coordination with the
Secretary of the Interior, shall establish a competitive
grant program under which the Secretary shall award grants to
mining schools.
(2) Use of funds.--A mining school receiving a grant under
paragraph (1) shall use the grant funds to carry out a study,
research project, or demonstration project relating to the
production of critical minerals, including relating to--
(A) enhancing and supporting mining and mineral engineering
programs at mining schools;
(B) mining, mineral extraction efficiency, and related
processing technology;
(C) reclamation technology and practices for active mining
operations;
(D) the development of remining systems and technologies
that facilitate reclamation that fosters the recovery of
resources at abandoned mine sites;
(E) critical mineral extraction methods that reduce
environmental and human impacts;
(F) technologies to extract, refine, separate, melt, or
produce rare earth elements;
(G) reducing dependence on foreign energy and mineral
supplies through increased domestic critical mineral
production;
(H) enhancing the competitiveness of United States energy
and mineral technology exports;
(I) the extraction or processing of coinciding
mineralization, including rare earth elements, within coal,
coal processing byproduct, overburden or coal residue;
(J) enhancing technologies and practices relating to
mitigation of acid mine drainage, reforestation, and
revegetation in the reclamation of land and water resources
adversely affected by mining;
(K) enhancing exploration and characterization of new or
novel deposits, including rare earth elements and critical
minerals within phosphate rocks, uranium bearing deposits,
and other non-traditional sources;
(L) meeting challenges of extreme mining conditions, such
as deeper deposits or offshore or cold region mining; and
(M) mineral economics, including analysis of supply chains,
future mineral needs, and unconventional mining resources.
(c) Public Participation.--In carrying out this section,
the Secretary shall--
(1) consult with relevant stakeholders; and
(2) provide to undergraduate and graduate students at
mining schools significant opportunities for participation.
(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated to carry out this section $10,000,000 for
each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026.
______