RESCUE Act of 2025
- Bill Number
- H.R. 4781
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Energy
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-02-24: Subcommittee Hearings Held
- Last Updated
- 2026-02-25T17:37:38Z
AI-Generated Summary
Rare Earth Solutions and Carbon Utilization Enhancement Act of 2025 (RESCUE Act of 2025) H.R. 4781
Purpose
The legislation aims to expand the scope of "critical projects" under the FAST Act by including activities that extract, recover, or process certain minerals and materials from coal-related sources, thereby streamlining federal permitting processes for these projects.
Key Provisions
- Amends Section 41001(6)(A) of the FAST Act (42 U.S.C. 4370m(6)(A)) to add a new category of projects.
- Defines qualifying activities as those related to the extraction, recovery, or processing from acid mine drainage, mine tailings, coal, coal waste, coal processing waste, or pre- or post-combustion coal byproducts of:
- Minerals locatable under the Mining Law of 1872 (including on acquired lands).
- Rare earth elements.
- Microfine carbon or carbon from coal.
- Makes technical adjustments to existing clauses in the definition to accommodate the new provision.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Broadens the FAST Act's definition of critical projects, which previously focused on other infrastructure categories, to explicitly cover rare earth element and carbon recovery from coal waste streams.
- Integrates these mining and processing activities into the streamlined environmental review and permitting framework established by the FAST Act.
Potential Impacts
- On government agencies: Accelerates federal permitting timelines for relevant projects, affecting agencies involved in environmental reviews and natural resource management.
- On citizens: May support domestic production of critical materials, potentially influencing supply chains for technology and energy sectors.
- On international relations: Could reduce U.S. reliance on foreign sources for rare earth elements by promoting domestic recovery from coal byproducts.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Mining and energy companies engaged in coal-related operations.
- Manufacturers and industries dependent on rare earth elements and carbon materials.
- Federal agencies responsible for permitting and environmental compliance.
- Communities near mining or coal waste sites.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Modifies federal permitting procedures without altering underlying environmental statutes, potentially affecting project timelines and regulatory oversight.
- Raises considerations around the balance between resource development and environmental protections in coal-impacted areas.
- Reflects legislative focus on domestic critical mineral supply chains.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (17)
Rep. Peters, Scott H. [D-CA-50], Rep. Carter, Earl L. "Buddy" [R-GA-1], Rep. Bice, Stephanie I. [R-OK-5], Rep. Harrigan, Pat [R-NC-10], Rep. Thompson, Glenn [R-PA-15], Rep. Fallon, Pat [R-TX-4], Rep. Newhouse, Dan [R-WA-4], Rep. Nehls, Troy E. [R-TX-22], Rep. Downing, Troy [R-MT-2], Rep. Rogers, Harold [R-KY-5], Rep. Guest, Michael [R-MS-3], Rep. Moore, Tim [R-NC-14], Rep. Schmidt, Derek [R-KS-2], Rep. Baumgartner, Michael [R-WA-5], Rep. Fry, Russell [R-SC-7], Rep. Harder, Josh [D-CA-9], Rep. Goldman, Craig A. [R-TX-12]
Recent Actions
- 2026-02-24: Subcommittee Hearings Held
- 2026-02-17: Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources.
- 2025-07-29: Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
- 2025-07-29: Introduced in House
- 2025-07-29: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Rare Earth Solutions and Carbon Utilization Enhancement Act of 2025 — issued 2025-07-29 — PDF (3 pages)