Sponsors (5)
Introduced January 12, 2026 by Johnny Olszewski · Last progress January 12, 2026
The bill funds and expands international fellowships and visiting-scholar programs to build a U.S. critical-minerals workforce and strengthen supply-chain resilience, at the cost of new federal spending, potential reallocation of embassy/state resources, and risks of eligibility limits, foreign influence concerns, and local opposition.
Students, graduate students, researchers, and universities gain funded fellowships, scholarships, and visiting-scholar opportunities for mining and critical-minerals study abroad and in the U.S., lowering financial barriers to specialized training and research.
U.S. mining employers and the domestic critical-minerals workforce gain a larger, better-trained pipeline of workers through targeted workforce development, industry partnerships, and return-to-U.S. employment commitments by fellows.
U.S. national security and supply-chain resilience are strengthened by adding key minerals (e.g., gold, copper) to the critical-minerals list and by training and partnerships that prioritize Minerals Security Partnership countries and other strategic collaborators.
Taxpayers face added federal costs (about $100 million over 10 years plus program administration and stipend costs) to fund fellowships, visiting scholars, and related program operations.
The Department of State and embassies may need to reallocate embassy-held foreign-currency balances or staff time to run these programs, potentially crowding out other diplomatic, cultural, or operational priorities.
Program eligibility preferences (e.g., prioritizing Minerals Security Partnership countries) and narrow statutory definitions risk excluding interdisciplinary programs, applicants from non-prioritized regions, and some institutions, concentrating benefits.
Based on analysis of 7 sections of legislative text.
Creates two Fulbright-based mining exchange programs, defines key terms for critical minerals/mining education, and authorizes $10M/year for FY2026–2035.
Creates two new Fulbright-style exchange programs to strengthen U.S. critical mineral and mining workforce capacity: a fellowship program sending U.S. students to foreign mining programs and a visiting scholars program bringing foreign mining professionals and academics to teach, research, and train at U.S. colleges. It defines key terms (including an expanded “critical mineral” list), adds the programs into the State Department’s Bureau activities, requires annual reporting to Congress, and authorizes $10 million per year for fiscal years 2026–2035 to operate the programs.