Sec. 5. Resource assessment

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Not later than 4 years after the date of enactment of this Act, in consultation with applicable State (including geological surveys), local, academic, industry, and other entities, the Secretary shall complete a comprehensive national assessment of each critical mineral that— identifies and quantifies known critical mineral resources, using all available public and private information and datasets, including exploration histories; and provides a quantitative and qualitative assessment of undiscovered critical mineral resources throughout the United States, including probability estimates of tonnage and grade, using all available public and private information and datasets, including exploration histories.

In carrying out this section, the Secretary may carry out surveys and field work (including drilling, remote sensing, geophysical surveys, topographical and geological mapping, and geochemical sampling and analysis) to supplement existing information and datasets available for determining the existence of critical minerals in the United States. Subject to applicable law, to the maximum extent practicable, the Secretary shall make all data and metadata collected from the comprehensive national assessment carried out under subsection

(a)publically and electronically accessible. At the request of the Governor of a State or the head of an Indian tribe, the Secretary may provide technical assistance to State governments and Indian tribes conducting critical mineral resource assessments on non-Federal land. The Secretary may sequence the completion of resource assessments for each critical mineral such that critical minerals considered to be most critical under the methodology established under section 4 are completed first. During the period beginning not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act and ending on the date of completion of all of the assessments required under this section, the Secretary shall submit to Congress on an annual basis an interim report that— identifies the sequence and schedule for completion of the assessments if the Secretary sequences the assessments; or describes the progress of the assessments if the Secretary does not sequence the assessments. The Secretary may periodically update the assessments conducted under this section based on— the generation of new information or datasets by the Federal Government; or the receipt of new information or datasets from critical mineral producers, State geological surveys, academic institutions, trade associations, or other persons. The Secretary shall complete a resource assessment for each additional mineral or element subsequently designated as a critical mineral under section 4(e)(2) not later than 2 years after the designation of the mineral or element. Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report describing the status of geological surveying of Federal land for any mineral commodity— for which the United States was dependent on a foreign country for more than 25 percent of the United States supply, as depicted in the report issued by the United States Geological Survey entitled Mineral Commodity Summaries 2019 ; but that is not designated as a critical mineral under section 4.