Sponsor
Robert J. Wittman
Representative · R-VA
The bill seeks to boost domestic aluminum recycling, supply resilience, and transparency through regular studies and recommendations, at the potential cost of added taxpayer-funded reporting burdens and risks of higher costs or market disruption if domestic-retention policies affect international scrap flows.
Small manufacturers and recyclers could receive policy recommendations that increase domestic aluminum supply, supporting domestic production and jobs.
State and local governments and downstream businesses could gain assessments of exports to foreign entities of concern that inform strategies to reduce strategic supply‑chain risks for critical industries.
State and local governments and the public would get regular (triennial) publicly available reports to guide policymaking and industry decisions on aluminum resource management.
Small exporters and trading partners could face higher costs if recommendations to retain scrap domestically lead to informal export limits or trade restrictions.
Utilities, downstream manufacturers, and small businesses could experience supply or price disruptions if policies to reduce reliance on certain foreign entities reshape global scrap markets.
Taxpayers and state agencies will incur administrative costs to prepare recurring detailed studies and reports required by the bill.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Representative · R-VA
Requires USGS, with EPA consultation, to study and report every 3 years on aluminum in landfills, exports, tech needs, and policy options to boost domestic recycling.
Official title: To require the Secretary of the Interior to carry out a study regarding aluminum recycling.
Introduced March 18, 2026 by Robert J. Wittman · Last progress March 18, 2026
Requires the U.S. Geological Survey, working with EPA, to study and report on how much aluminum is being discarded in U.S. landfills and how that material moves through markets and overseas. The USGS must produce an initial report within three years and update it every three years, estimating landfill quantities and exports, identifying collection and sorting technology needs, and recommending policies to increase domestic recycling and reduce reliance on foreign entities of concern.