Army Organic Industrial Base Mineral Partnerships Act of 2026
- Bill Number
- H.R. 8797
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Armed Forces and National Security
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-05-13: Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.
- Last Updated
- 2026-06-15T19:59:18Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose This legislation amends Title 10 of the United States Code to permit the U.S. Army to form cooperative partnerships with private entities for mineral extraction at Army-owned industrial facilities. The goal is to recover strategic or critical minerals from land, facilities, waste streams, or byproducts under Army control while supporting defense and industrial needs.
Key Provisions
- Adds mineral extraction operations (including recovery, processing, and handling of minerals) to the list of activities allowed under existing cooperative arrangements in Section 7544.
- Requires any such partnership to follow all applicable federal, state, and local environmental laws, with the private partner bearing primary responsibility for compliance, cleanup, and related liabilities.
- Mandates that the Army receive fair consideration, which may include cash payments, in-kind minerals or services, equipment improvements, or other support for Army facilities.
- Allows retained cash funds to support facility operations, maintenance, or modernization, with special rules for facilities funded through the Army Working Capital Fund.
- Exempts these partnerships from the Mineral Leasing Act for Acquired Lands.
- Prohibits the Army or its personnel from directly conducting mining or drilling operations.
- Requires an annual report to Congress on the number and general nature of such partnerships.
- Adds definitions for “mineral extraction operations,” “strategic or critical mineral,” and “under the control of an Army industrial facility.”
Significant Changes to Existing Law The bill expands Section 7544 to explicitly include mineral extraction as an authorized activity. It introduces new safeguards on environmental liability, financial assurances, and compensation that were not previously detailed for this type of partnership. It also creates an exemption from certain mineral leasing requirements and provides flexibility in how the Army may use received funds or in-kind benefits.
Potential Impacts
- Government agencies: Allows the Army to generate revenue or receive industrial support for its facilities without new appropriations in some cases.
- Citizens and industry: Enables private companies to access mineral resources at Army sites under regulated terms, potentially increasing domestic supply of critical minerals.
- International relations: Supports efforts to reduce reliance on foreign sources of strategic minerals by expanding domestic extraction options at existing federal sites.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- The Department of the Army and its organic industrial base facilities.
- Private sector companies engaged in mineral extraction, processing, or related industries.
- Congressional committees responsible for armed services oversight.
- State and local governments near Army facilities due to environmental compliance requirements.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications The measure places environmental and financial risk primarily on private partners through indemnification and bonding requirements, while preserving Army control over its facilities. It avoids direct federal mining activity and maintains existing subsurface rights agreements. The annual reporting requirement increases congressional visibility into these partnerships.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Rep. Moran, Nathaniel [R-TX-1]
Recent Actions
- 2026-05-13: Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.
- 2026-05-13: Introduced in House
- 2026-05-13: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Army Organic Industrial Base Mineral Partnerships Act of 2026 — issued 2026-05-13 — PDF (9 pages)