Critical Materials Processing Technology Testbed Act

This bill directs the Secretary of Energy to use a competitive, merit-reviewed process to set up a testbed, at one or more sites, for researching, developing, and testing new ways to process critical materials and minerals. National Laboratories, colleges and universities, private companies, and others could apply to run it. The testbed would focus on processing improvements such as lower energy and water use, less pollution and waste, worker safety, and better recovery of materials. It would receive support for up to five years at a time, with possible renewal, and the bill authorizes $150 million in fiscal year 2027 and $25 million a year for fiscal years 2028 through 2031. The Secretary would also help transfer research results to industry and ensure the resulting intellectual property stays in the United States.

Full text and official record on Congress.gov

Sponsors

• Bill Foster Democrat sponsor
• 0 cosponsors