Unearth America’s Future Act
Sponsored By: Representative Stevens, Haley M. [D-MI-11]
Introduced
Summary
Securing domestic critical material supply chains. The Unearth America's Future Act creates loans, an Investment Fund, and tax credits to grow U.S. capacity to extract, process, recycle, and manufacture critical materials. It pairs those incentives with labor protections, environmental safeguards, and expanded research and workforce programs.
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- Manufacturers and investors gain a Commerce Department loan and loan guarantee program with individual domestic loans generally capped around $1 billion and award limits up to about $2 billion. The bill also creates a Critical Material Investment Credit (15% base, up to 25% under qualifying criteria) and a production credit with base rates starting at 15% for initial production.
- Workers and labor organizations get explicit protections. Loan recipients must follow collective bargaining and neutrality frameworks, meet Davis-Bacon prevailing wage rules on projects, and link higher credit rates to apprenticeship and wage standards.
- Researchers, communities, and the environment see dedicated R&D and training funding. NSF and DOE programs, testbeds, and a public-private partnership will support recycling, substitutes, decarbonization, and community engagement, with P3 funding ramping from $15 million in FY2026 to $75 million annually by FY2030.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
7 provisions identified: 6 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
Big federal loans for materials projects
If enacted, Commerce would start a loan and loan guarantee program within one year to help build or upgrade critical material facilities. Applicants would need a detailed plan, strong finances, and must avoid foreign countries and entities of concern; funds could support facilities, equipment, R&D, workforce training, and decarbonization. For U.S. projects, direct loans would be capped at the lesser of $1 billion or 50% of project cost (guarantees up to the lesser of $1 billion or 75%); higher loan ceilings up to $2 billion could apply with a Presidential certification. Loans could run up to 25 years with interest tied to Treasury rates, and Commerce would pre‑notify Congress for loans over $100 million. The bill would authorize loan authority of $1 billion (FY2026), $2.5 billion (FY2027), $5 billion (FY2028), $7.5 billion (FY2029), and $10 billion (FY2030 and later), subject to appropriations.
Tax credit for materials facilities
If enacted, businesses could claim an investment tax credit for money put into a qualifying critical material facility. The base credit would be 15% of qualified investment, or 25% if the facility meets certain rules or mainly produces supply‑vulnerable, substitute, or recycled materials. Facilities could include extraction, refining, recycling, conversion into magnets or alloys, and specialized equipment used mainly for those processes. A taxpayer would need to make a final, irrevocable election to treat a facility as qualifying before claiming the credit.
Tax credit for U.S. materials production
If enacted, producers could claim a nonrefundable credit on the cost of producing eligible materials in the U.S. Base rates would be 15% for initial production, 10% if all inputs are domestic, or 7.5% if inputs are domestic or from a listed safe country. Add 10 percentage points if the project meets prevailing wage and apprenticeship rules, or if the material is designated supply‑vulnerable, a qualified substitute, or recycled. The credit could not be combined with section 45X for the same material in the same year and would phase down for sales after Dec 31, 2030 (2031 ×0.75, 2032 ×0.50, 2033 ×0.25, and 0 after Dec 31, 2034).
Grants and training for materials research
If enacted, DOE could award pilot grants up to $25 million each to expand domestic capacity, with $150 million per year authorized for FY2026–FY2030. DOE would prioritize at least 40% of dollars for substitutes, recycling, or secondary recovery and bar exporting processes to countries of concern. NSF could fund research, testbeds to speed commercialization, and education programs like curricula, apprenticeships, and shared facilities. NIST could run a recycling consortium, report to Congress within two years, and sunset it after five years; members tied to foreign entities of concern would be excluded.
New center and investment fund for materials
If enacted, Commerce would set up a National Center to study and strengthen critical material supply chains. The Center would publish public reports and work with other agencies and allies. A public‑private partnership would launch within one year and run an Investment Fund that prioritizes U.S. suppliers and small businesses, stores purchases in the U.S., and can get a federal loan (but not a guarantee). The bill would authorize Center funding of $30 million (FY2026), $45 million (FY2027), $70 million (FY2028), $85 million (FY2029), and $100 million (FY2030 and later). It would also authorize for the partnership up to $15 million (FY2026), $30 million (FY2027), $45 million (FY2028), $60 million (FY2029), and $75 million (FY2030 and later), subject to future appropriations, and bar foreign entities or countries of concern from partnership activities.
Higher pay and faster union recognition
If enacted, workers on projects funded by these loans would be paid local prevailing wages under Davis‑Bacon rules. Employers that get loans would have to recognize a union if a majority of workers sign valid cards, without a required election. Bargaining would start within 10 days of a written request; mediation could begin after 90 days, and binding arbitration would follow within 120 days if needed. Contractors and subcontractors on funded work would have to follow these rules too. Federal funds could not be used to help or block union organizing.
Treasury advisory board on materials
If enacted, Treasury would set up an advisory board with at least 15 members to guide policy on growing U.S. critical materials capacity. At least one environmental and one labor representative would serve. The board would be exempt from a key federal advisory rule, and Treasury would consult it when writing guidance.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Stevens, Haley M. [D-MI-11]
MI • D
Cosponsors
Clyburn
SC • D
Sponsored 7/10/2025
Rep. Scholten, Hillary J. [D-MI-3]
MI • D
Sponsored 7/22/2025
Rep. Brown, Shontel M. [D-OH-11]
OH • D
Sponsored 7/23/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov