PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 93.
Congressional Research Service
Version 25 · Reported to Senate · Jun 18, 2025
Finding Opportunities for Resource Exploration Act or the Finding ORE Act
This bill allows the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to enter into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to partner with a foreign country in mapping the country's reserves of critical minerals and rare earth elements.
A critical mineral is any mineral, element, substance, or material designated as critical by USGS because it is essential to U.S. economic and national security, has a vulnerable supply chain, and serves an essential function in manufacturing a product. Rare earth elements have catalytic, magnetic, electrical, and luminescent properties vital for civilian and defense purposes.
Showing the opening paragraphs of the official summary.
In negotiating a MOU, USGS must seek to increase the security and resilience of international supply chains for critical minerals and rare earth elements by
committing to assisting the partner foreign country through cooperative activities that help it map reserves;
ensuring that private companies headquartered in the United States or an allied foreign country are offered the right of first refusal in the further development of critical minerals and rare earth elements in the partner foreign country;
facilitating private-sector investment in the exploration and development of critical minerals and rare earth elements; and
ensuring that the mapping data is protected against unauthorized access by, or disclosure to, governmental or private entities based in non-allied countries.
USGS must obtain the concurrence of the Department of State in
prioritizing and selecting partner foreign countries,
negotiating or implementing a MOU, and
notifying and reporting to Congress about issues related to a MOU.
People & committees
Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE] · D–DE
Legislative record
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Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 93.
Committee on Foreign Relations. Reported by Senator Risch with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
Committee on Foreign Relations. Reported by Senator Risch with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
Committee on Foreign Relations. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
Introduced in Senate
Primary sources
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Source last updated: Sep 15, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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