Sponsors (2)
The bill quickens and prioritizes federal permitting and modernization support for DPA-authorized mineral projects to strengthen domestic defense and critical-mineral supply chains, but does so while raising environmental/community risks, shifting agency focus and costs, and potentially exposing sensitive business information.
Project sponsors of Defense Production Act (DPA)-authorized mineral projects and the U.S. domestic supply chain will see faster permitting priority, helping accelerate projects important to national defense and critical mineral availability.
Small businesses, local governments, and rural communities involved in DPA section 303 activities will experience quicker federal reviews because those activities can use federal permitting-improvement processes.
Operators at affected facilities (including energy and mining workers) may gain productivity, improved environmental practices, and better worker safety from federal-supported modernization and feasibility efforts.
Rural communities and local environments near DPA-prioritized mining projects face greater risk of accelerated environmental and community impacts if permitting is expedited.
Local governments and taxpayers could see federal permitting resources and agency attention shifted toward DPA projects, potentially delaying or deprioritizing other infrastructure or environmental reviews.
Small-business owners and project sponsors risk exposure of proprietary or sensitive commercial information if projects are listed on the Permitting Dashboard and they do not opt out.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Treats certain DOD actions under the Defense Production Act related to mining and processing as "covered projects" and requires their listing on the federal Permitting Dashboard unless the sponsor opts out.
Introduced December 16, 2025 by Elissa Slotkin · Last progress December 16, 2025
Designates certain Department of Defense actions under the Defense Production Act related to mining, processing, modernization, and feasibility studies as "covered projects" for federal permitting-improvement purposes and requires those projects to be listed on the federal Permitting Dashboard unless the project sponsor asks to be excluded. The change aims to fold designated defense- and energy-related mineral projects into the FAST Act permitting coordination and transparency processes without creating new funding or changing environmental review laws.