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HR 9858

STRATA Act of 2026

119th Congress Introduced by Ami Bera and 9 co-sponsors

Establish a State Department-led program to accelerate international collaboration and private-public efforts for secure, diversified critical minerals supply chains and technology

Introduced in House
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · HR 9858

Overview

  • Bill: HR 9858 (STRATA Act of 2026)
  • Session: 119th Congress, 2nd Session
  • Purpose: Establish the Critical Minerals Innovation Partnership Program and related elements to accelerate U.S. leadership in critical minerals through international cooperation, innovation, and coordinated manufacturing and supply chain efforts.
  • Primary sponsor(s): Rep. Kim (with a broad group of cosponsors including Bera, Bilirakis, Harrigan, Bice, Salazar, Radewagen, Miller, Zinke, Mackenzie, Young Kim)

Main Purpose and Intent

  • Create a formal, State Department–led program to foster international cooperation and private-public collaboration on critical minerals technology, supply chains, and resilience.
  • Strengthen U.S. national security, economic competitiveness, and diversified supply chains by accelerating R&D, demonstration, and deployment of advanced critical minerals technologies.
  • Build a framework of international centers of excellence, a digital platform for opportunities, and coordinated funding and procurement to bridge early-stage innovation to market deployment.

Key Provisions and Changes

Title I — Critical Minerals Innovation Partnership Program

  • Establishes the Critical Minerals Innovation Partnership Program within the Department of State.
  • Appoints a Director responsible for administration and coordination with other federal agencies.
  • Eligibility criteria for countries and entities to participate:
    • Countries: allied/partner status, strategic/commercial importance, capacity and commitment to participate.
    • Entities: universities, nonprofits, federally funded R&D centers, private firms, or consortia; must not be “countries of concern” or controlled by them.
  • Preference in selecting partner countries: prioritize those with U.S. trade/economic agreements or those part of initiatives advancing U.S. foreign policy and security objectives.
  • Requirement that partnerships with countries/entities be approved with notifications and briefings to Congress.

Title I — Elements of Partnerships

  • Projects must include: clear objectives, assigned responsibilities, measurable benchmarks, and a multiyear plan with funding commitments, implementation mechanisms, and roles for private sector/third parties.
  • Consideration of participation by other donor countries/entities and dispute resolution/IP arrangements, where applicable.
  • Provisions for data governance, security, and transparency; processes for solicited/unsolicited proposals; and potential use of a digital platform to manage opportunities.

Title I — Responsibilities of the Director

  • Facilitate dialogue and evaluate proposals; coordinate joint funding and joint procurement as appropriate.
  • Develop multinational roadmaps addressing vulnerabilities and investment priorities in critical minerals supply chains.
  • Issue joint/coordinated solicitations and align with U.S. funding agencies (including DOD, DOE, NSF, Commerce, Ex-Im Bank, TDA, etc.) as needed.
  • Convene international actors, standardize interoperability, and coordinate demand aggregation to improve market certainty and enable long-term offtake agreements.
  • Establish safeguards, data governance, supply chain transparency, and monitoring/reporting mechanisms.

Title II — Related Matters

  • International Centers of Excellence for Innovative Critical Minerals Supply Chain Technologies:
    • Establish centers in participating entities to advance extraction/processing tech, training, regulatory frameworks, and data-driven tools for traceability, environmental metrics, and responsible mining.
  • Digital Platform:
    • Publicly accessible platform to centralize opportunities, priority gaps, and proposals; supports matchmaking, especially for startups and SMEs; allows rolling submissions of proposals.

Title III — Sunset

  • Authority expires 10 years after enactment, with continuation for ongoing projects/agreements and closeout activities as needed.

Related Provisions

  • Sense of Congress: urges liaison with the National Science and Technology Council and consideration of priority cooperation areas; emphasizes alignment with the National Defense Technology and Industrial Base Council for transitioning technologies to deployment.
  • Assistance for Science and Technology Cooperation (new section under Foreign Assistance Act):
    • President may fund cooperation with allied nations to advance critical minerals and related technologies.
    • Funding may cover a broad range of activities (extraction, processing, recycling, data, pilot projects, shared facilities, scale-up, private-sector partnerships, etc.).
    • Requires congressional notification before obligated funds; limitations include restrictions on dealings with countries/entities of concern and prohibition on certain individuals’ relatives from securing funding.

Who Would Be Affected

  • U.S. government: State Department leadership, undersecretaries, and a designated Director for program implementation; coordination with multiple federal agencies (Energy, DOD, Commerce, NSF, Ex-Im Bank, USAID/USTDA, NIST, etc.).
  • International partners: Eligible allied/partner countries and participating universities, nonprofits, R&D centers, and private sector entities.
  • Private sector: Startups, SMEs, and consortia may participate through the digital platform and joint initiatives; potential for co-funded projects and offtake arrangements.
  • Civil society and labor/environmental standards: Centers of Excellence emphasize environmental, labor, and human rights standards, transparency, and remediation practices.

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

  • Entry into force upon enactment; program authorities terminate 10 years after enactment (sunset provision).
  • Before entering a partnership, the Director must notify and brief relevant congressional committees (within 30 days prior to partnership).
  • Authority to transfer funds under the National Security Investment Programs heading, with strict prohibitions on transactions with countries of concern or entities tied to them; civilian/defense integration considerations noted.
  • The bill envisions ongoing reporting on outcomes, including supply chain resilience and deployment timelines.

Potential Impacts

  • Strengthened U.S. leadership in critical minerals through international collaboration and accelerated commercialization of innovative technologies.
  • Diversified and more secure supply chains with enhanced traceability, sustainability, and standards compliance.
  • Increased public-private collaboration and faster translation of research into deployed technologies.
  • Possible geopolitical and regulatory considerations, given partnerships with allied nations and restrictions related to “countries of concern.”

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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