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119-hr-8797119th CongressWALLET

Army Organic Industrial Base Mineral Partnerships Act of 2026

Sponsored By: Representative Moran, Nathaniel [R-TX-1]

Introduced

Summary

Authorizes private mineral extraction at Army organic industrial base sites. This bill would let non-Army entities remove, process, and recover minerals from land, facilities, waste streams, and byproducts under Army control while the Army may receive cash or in-kind compensation.

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  • Army facilities and programs would be able to host mineral recovery operations and accept payment or materials in exchange for use of land, facilities, and infrastructure. For sites funded through the Army Working Capital Fund cash received would be credited to that fund and could be used for capital investments that support the organic industrial base.
  • Non-Army partners would assume primary responsibility for complying with federal, state, and local environmental laws, including the National Environmental Policy Act and the Clean Air Act, and for mitigation, cleanup, natural resource damages, and post-termination or cross-boundary contamination. They must indemnify the United States to the maximum extent permitted by law and provide financial assurance such as bonds or insurance.
  • The Secretary of the Army would set the value of compensation and must ensure agreements do not interfere with Army missions. The Secretary must report annually to the House and Senate Armed Services Committees on the number of such contracts and the types of strategic or critical minerals covered.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

4 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 3 mixed.

Army payments from mineral deals

This bill would require companies using Army land, facilities, or recovered minerals to provide consideration the Secretary finds reasonable. Consideration could be cash or in-kind value such as minerals, equipment, services, or infrastructure improvements. Cash paid for facilities financed through the Army Working Capital Fund would be credited to that Fund and could be used for capital investments; other cash could be kept and used without further appropriation for operations, maintenance, modernization, or remediation, subject to law. The Secretary would have to find any payment is in the Department's best interest and would not interfere with Army missions.

Contractor cleanup and liability rules

This bill would require companies that do extraction on Army property to follow all federal, state, and local environmental laws, including NEPA and the Clean Air Act. Companies would be responsible for mitigation, remediation, cleanup, response, and natural resource damages from their operations, including contamination found after a contract ends or that moves beyond facility boundaries. Contracts would have to indemnify the United States to the maximum extent allowed and include performance bonds, insurance, or other financial assurance to protect U.S. interests if a company defaults or goes bankrupt.

New Army contracts for mineral mining

This bill would let the Secretary of the Army sign contracts or cooperative arrangements that allow private companies to remove, recover, or process minerals at Army industrial sites. Army personnel or Army industrial facilities would not be permitted to do the mining themselves. The bill would define covered minerals (including rare earths, lithium, titanium, nickel) and what counts as property under Army control. It would preserve existing subsurface rights and say the normal mineral leasing law would not apply to these authorized deals.

Annual Army mineral extraction report

This bill would require the Secretary of the Army to report to the House and Senate Armed Services Committees within one year and annually after that. Reports would identify the number of contracts or cooperative arrangements that include mineral extraction. Reports would also describe in general terms which strategic or critical minerals are covered.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Moran, Nathaniel [R-TX-1]

TX • R

Cosponsors

  • Rep. Fallon, Pat [R-TX-4]

    TX • R

    Sponsored 7/20/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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