# 119-s-598: Unearth Innovation Act

119-s-598, Unearth Innovation Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Hickenlooper, John W. [D-CO] (D-CO); status introduced (as of 2026-09-10).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-598
- As of: 2026-09-10
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-598
- Congress: 119
- Title: Unearth Innovation Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-02-13
- Sponsor: Sen. Hickenlooper, John W. [D-CO] (D-CO)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Policy area: Energy
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2026-09-10

## Summary

**Mineral and mining innovation** would be centralized at the Department of Energy by creating a Mineral and Mining Innovation Initiative to speed research, cleaner extraction, recycling, and commercialization of technologies for domestic mineral needs. The initiative would coordinate safety and innovation with agencies like the Mine Safety and Health Administration and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and prioritize partnerships with universities, Indian Tribes, industry, and National Laboratories. - Workers: Would fund research, training, and safety-focused innovation to improve mine safety, workforce skills, and productivity. It directs coordination with mine safety agencies to target real workplace hazards. - Communities and Indian Tribes: Would require community engagement, social-acceptance research, and consultation with Indian Tribes, and would support reclamation, remediation, and reuse of mined lands to reduce local environmental harm. - Researchers, industry, and supply chains: Would back university and lab partnerships on exploration, advanced extraction, processing, and critical-mineral recycling (including battery recycling) to boost domestic supply, technology adoption, and commercialization. *Would authorize $100 million per year for fiscal years 2026–2035, totaling $1.0 billion in authorized funding.*

## Cosponsors (1)

- Sen. Tillis, Thomas [R-NC] (R-NC), 2025-02-13T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- New DOE mining innovation program: mixed, high. If enacted, the bill would require the Department of Energy to set up a Mineral and Mining Innovation Initiative within 180 days. The program would get $100 million each year for fiscal years 2026 through 2035, with the money remaining available until spent. DOE would fund research, demonstrations,…

## Related bills

- 119-s-3923: Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2026
- 119-s-4744: Take Care of America’s Veterans Act
- 119-s-1462: Fix Our Forests Act
- 119-s-1541: SHIPS for America Act of 2025
- 119-s-4668: Protect College Sports Act of 2026
- 119-s-5022: Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act

## Sources
- [119-s-598 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/598)

## Related
- [119-s-3923: Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3923)
- [119-s-4744: Take Care of America’s Veterans Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4744)
- [119-s-1462: Fix Our Forests Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1462)
- [119-s-1541: SHIPS for America Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1541)
- [119-s-4668: Protect College Sports Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4668)
- [119-s-5022: Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5022)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-598 (as of 2026-09-10).