H.R. 9858 — STRATA Act of 2026

This section establishes the Critical Minerals Innovation Partnership Program in the Department of State to support the development and adoption of critical minerals innovative technologies through partnerships with countries and entities, in order to enhance national security, economic competitiveness, and diversify critical supply chains of the United States. It requires the Secretary of State to appoint a Director of the program, responsible to the Under Secretary of Economic Affairs for administration, implementation, and coordination with listed Federal agencies.

This section authorizes the Secretary to consider a country's allied or partner status, strategic or commercial importance to the United States, and capacity and commitment when determining eligibility to participate in the program. It limits participating entities to institutions of higher education, nonprofits, federally funded research and development centers, private sector entities, or consortia of such entities, provided they are not foreign entities of concern. It requires the Secretary to give preference to countries that are parties to U.S. trade agreements or participate in specified bilateral or multilateral initiatives. It prohibits partnerships with countries of concern or country of concern entities.

This section requires the Director to notify the appropriate congressional committees, transmit the text of the proposed partnership, and provide an in-person briefing at least 30 days before entering into any partnership with a country or entity under the program.

This section requires each partnership under the program to include nine specified elements: objectives and party responsibilities; quantitative benchmarks; a multiyear plan estimating U.S. and partner contributions with oversight mechanisms and private-sector roles; descriptions of other donor participation; preferred methods for dispute resolution and intellectual property allocation; notification processes for controlled information; and procedures for reviewing solicited and unsolicited proposals.

This section assigns the Director responsibilities for establishing dialogue with participating countries and entities, developing multinational strategies and roadmaps on critical mineral supply chain vulnerabilities, directing joint solicitations and coordinated initiatives across federal agencies, convening partners to align technical standards, aggregating demand to support offtake arrangements, coordinating eligibility criteria and data safeguards, and monitoring supply chain resilience metrics. It also authorizes contracts, grants, and cooperative agreements to build partner capacity and the creation of Country Teams at U.S. overseas posts.

This section authorizes the Director to appoint candidates directly to competitive service positions without regard to standard civil service examination procedures under sections 3309 through 3318 of title 5, United States Code, including experts to support technology deployment, integration, and commercialization. It also permits the Director to request detailees from other federal agencies on a reimbursable basis who retain their employee benefits and seniority, and to detail program personnel to assisting agencies.

This section establishes International Centers of Excellence for Innovative Critical Minerals Supply Chain Technologies in participating entities. The centers advance development and deployment of responsible critical minerals extraction, processing, and recycling technologies; strengthen technical and regulatory capacity abroad; promote transparency and adherence to environmental, labor, and human rights standards; and support secure U.S.-aligned supply chains. The centers may fund applied research, pilot projects, technical assistance, regulatory frameworks, and data tools for supply chain traceability, emissions accounting, and risk mitigation, and are administered by the Director of the Critical Minerals Innovation Partnership Program in coordination with partner nations and relevant federal agencies.

This section establishes a publicly accessible digital platform to facilitate participation by United States entities in the program. The platform serves as a centralized clearinghouse of opportunities including solicitations, funding, pilot projects, and collaborative research; lists priority capability gaps and needs; enables entities such as early-stage companies, small and medium-sized enterprises, and research institutions to identify and apply for opportunities; and supports submission of solicited and unsolicited proposals on a rolling basis. It directs the Secretary to prioritize engagement with early-stage and venture-backed companies, develop matchmaking mechanisms with partner country stakeholders, coordinate with private sector investors and accelerators, and consult with the Foreign and Commercial Service, the United States Trade and Development Agency, and the Deal Team Initiative.

This section expresses the sense of Congress that the Director should serve as liaison to the National Science and Technology Council Subcommittee on International Science and Technology Coordination to identify mutually beneficial areas of cooperation and develop action plans, consulting with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine as appropriate. It further states that the Department of State, in coordination with program participants, should submit technologies developed under the program to the National Defense Technology and Industrial Base Council for accelerated transition to operational use if approved by the United States and participating countries or submitted by an allied country.

This section authorizes the President to furnish assistance under the Economic Support Fund for science and technology cooperation with countries and organizations to advance innovation in critical minerals, energy technologies, advanced manufacturing, recycling, and related fields, delegating implementation and management to the Secretary of State. It requires the Secretary to notify the Senate Foreign Relations and House Foreign Affairs Committees at least 15 days before obligating funds and authorizes transfers from amounts under the National Security Investment Programs heading, subject to existing notification procedures and prohibitions on transactions with countries of concern or entities linked to the President or Vice President.

This section continues any bilateral or multilateral partnership, agreement, grant, contract, or cooperative agreement entered into before the termination date, and permits administrative or oversight activities necessary to close out such agreements.