Representatives Moore, Shreve's Protecting Domestic Mining Act Passes the House
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Protecting Domestic Mining Act passed the House of Representatives. Introduced by Congressman Blake Moore (R-UT) and Congressman Jefferson Shreve (R-IN), this legislation boosts domestic mining and mineral processing capacity by expediting environmental review of mining infrastructure projects under the FAST-41 process. Congressman Moore spoke on the House floor prior to its passage, and his remarks can be viewed HERE.
“I’m thrilled to see the Protecting Domestic Mining Act, which I introduced with Rep. Shreve, pass the House," Rep. Moore said. "Mining plays a critical role in our national security, and this bill is an important step towards a more streamlined and coordinated approval process for new mines. In Utah alone, mining contributes over $5 billion to our state GDP annually. As demand for hardrock minerals continues to grow, we should be producing more resources here, with American workers, rather than relying on foreign adversaries. I urge my colleagues in the Senate to pass this bill so that we can increase domestic mineral production and make government work better for our miners.”
"America has the resources. We have the workers. What we don’t need is years of government red tape standing in the way. My bill brings critical mineral production back home, strengthens American manufacturing, and reduces our dependence on China,” Rep. Shreve said. “More American mining means more American jobs, stronger American manufacturing, and a supply chain we can count on.”
“It’s critical for the United States to achieve mineral dominance and end reliance on foreign adversarial nations for critical natural resources. The Protecting Domestic Mining Act will speed up permitting for mining and processing, allowing America to unleash its domestic mineral abundance, support good-paying jobs and decrease reliance on foreign sources. I thank Representatives Shreve and Moore for their work on advancing policies to secure America’s mineral supply chains,” House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-AR) said.
"By codifying into law what has already been a great success for American jobs, national security and supply chain independence, the Protecting Domestic Mining Act of 2025 (H.R. 1501) will bring increased transparency, accountability and predictability in the permitting review process, reaffirming mining as a covered project under the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council’s (FPISC) permitting dashboard," said Rich Nolan, President and CEO of the National Mining Association. "By streamlining the permitting process and establishing greater coordination and cooperation between regulatory agencies, we can bring domestic mining operations online more efficiently and help America unlock its true potential. We congratulate Representatives Shreve (R-Ind.) and Moore (R-Utah) on passage of H.R. 1501 and encourage the Senate to quickly take-up and pass this important legislation. The bill will help to ensure that made in America truly means mined in America."
"Strengthening America’s mineral supply chains is critical to our national and energy security, and will require both greater domestic production and a permitting process that can move projects forward efficiently,” said James Dozier, President and CEO of Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions. "The Protecting Domestic Mining Act would help achieve both by expanding access to the FAST-41 program and giving critical mineral projects a clearer path toward expedited review. CRES is proud to support this important legislation and efforts to strengthen access to critical minerals vital for advanced, domestic, and cleaner energy production."
The Protecting Domestic Mining Act codifies mining and mineral processing as covered projects under the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act. The bill also prohibits implementation of a Biden-era proposed rule that would narrow FAST-41 coverage for mining projects to only critical-mineral mining projects, severely impeding domestic mineral investment and American resource independence.
Background
Cars, appliances, cell phones, medical equipment, military defense, power grids, and manufacturing all depend on minerals like copper, lithium, and rare earth elements. The United States has these resources, but government delays keep American mines and processing facilities tied up in red tape for years.
That means American manufacturers are often forced to buy these critical materials from China. This bill puts mining and mineral processing projects on a clearer federal permitting timeline, helping get American mines and processing facilities up and running faster.
The United States has some of the world’s richest deposits of critical minerals, yet permitting a new mine can take many years. This legislation ensures mining and mineral processing projects can benefit from existing federal permitting reforms designed to prevent unnecessary delays.
Supporting organizations include: American Exploration and Mining Association, Americans for Prosperity, Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions, Essential Minerals Association, National Association of Manufacturers, National Federation of Independent Business, National Mining Association, and National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association.
The Protecting Domestic Mining Act of 2025 now heads to the Senate for consideration.
Read the full bill here.
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