H.R. 8446 would require the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to update its list of minerals essential to the United States’ economy or national security to include any materials that the Department of Energy (DOE) has designated as critical for energy technologies. 

Currently, there are five materials designated as critical by DOE that are not included in the USGS’s list of critical minerals. If those materials were added to the list, the agency would be required to identify all known sources of each material and annually report on each material’s projected supply and demand. Using information from the USGS about the costs of its current assessments, CBO estimates that listing and assessing the five additional materials would cost $1 million over the 2024-2029 period. 

If DOE designates new materials after enactment, the USGS would be required to include them on its list and in subsequent annual reports. Using information about the timing of past updates to DOE’s list and the costs of the USGS’s current assessments, CBO estimates that listing and reporting on any new DOE designations would cost $1 million over the 2024-2029 period. 

In total, CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 8446 would cost $2 million over the 2024-2029 period; any related spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds.