Analyst Brief September 14, 2026

H.R. 9617 — CHARM Act

Current Status

Reported by Committee

Executive Summary

The CHARM Act (H.R. 9617) directs the EPA Administrator to develop and implement a National Critical Mineral Recovery Strategy to extract critical minerals from discarded materials, including mining and metal processing waste. Currently, the U.S. relies heavily on foreign imports for critical minerals essential to advanced technologies and national security. By coordinating federal efforts and identifying regulatory or technological barriers, this bipartisan bill aims to bolster domestic supply chains while simultaneously incentivizing the remediation of existing industrial waste streams.

Bill Data

Primary Sponsor

Rep. Gary Palmer (R-AL)

Bill Number

H.R. 9617

Session

119th

Co-Sponsors

Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY)
View on Congress.gov ↗

Arguments For

  • Supply Chain Security: Reduces reliance on foreign adversaries for critical minerals by tapping into domestic waste streams, providing a strong national security and economic argument.
  • Environmental & Economic Win-Win: Incentivizes the cleanup of existing mining and industrial waste sites by turning liabilities (waste) into valuable assets (critical minerals), appealing to both industry and environmental advocates.

Likely Supporters

National Mining AssociationDomestic manufacturing advocatesEnvironmental remediation firms

Arguments Against

  • Regulatory Overreach Concerns: Skeptics may worry that giving the EPA lead authority over critical mineral recovery could eventually lead to new, burdensome regulations on existing industrial waste streams under the guise of 'recovery'.
  • Implementation Feasibility: Identifying and extracting trace minerals from complex waste streams is technologically difficult and may not be economically viable without significant federal subsidies, risking the strategy becoming a mere paper exercise.

Likely Opponents

Strict environmental groups concerned about hazardous waste deregulationFiscal conservatives wary of new EPA mandates

📋 Key Provisions

  • Directs the EPA, in consultation with other federal agencies, to develop a National Critical Mineral Recovery Strategy.
  • Requires the identification of legal, technological, and other barriers to recovering critical minerals from discarded materials.
  • Mandates the evaluation of mining waste, metal processing waste, and other discarded materials as potential sources for critical mineral recovery.
  • Requires a biennial report to Congress detailing actions taken, ongoing efforts, and legislative recommendations to support the strategy.
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Claim Analysis Page 3, Line 4

Establishes the short title as the 'Coordinating and Harnessing America’s Recovery of Minerals Act' or 'CHARM Act'.

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"This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Coordinating and Har-"

Claim Analysis Page 4, Line 20

Requires the strategy to identify opportunities to recover minerals from mining or metal processing waste.

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"ing waste or residuals or metal processing"

Claim Analysis Page 5, Line 11

Mandates a report to Congress every 2 years detailing the strategy and related activities.

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"‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 2 years"