SCR 9

 Enrolled Copy  S.C.R. 9
1     Concurrent Resolution Regarding Critical Minerals Development and Funding
                                       2026 GENERAL SESSION
                                             STATE OF UTAH
                                      Chief Sponsor: Ann Millner
                                  House Sponsor: David Shallenberger
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3  LONG TITLE
4  General Description:
5      This resolution addresses Utah's critical minerals industry.
6  Highlighted Provisions:
7      This resolution:
8      ▸ highlights the urgency to develop domestic supplies of critical minerals;
9      ▸ describes Utah's position as a top mining jurisdiction;
10      ▸ outlines the role of the proposed Minerals for Industrial, National, and Economic Security
11  Center (MINES Center) in establishing Utah as a critical minerals hub;
12      ▸ expresses support for the creation of the MINES Center;
13      ▸ encourages the federal government to distribute federal money for critical minerals
14  development through block grants; and
15      ▸ calls on the state's congressional delegation to support the state's efforts to create a
16  MINES Center and to achieve a designation and funding for a critical minerals national
17  lab in the state.
18  Money Appropriated in this Bill:
19      None
20  Other Special Clauses:
21      None
22
23  Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah, the Governor concurring therein:
24      WHEREAS, in 2024, the United States was 100% net import reliant for 12 critical minerals
25  and greater than 50% net import reliant for an additional 29 critical minerals, according to the
26  United States Geological Survey;
27      WHEREAS, the United States faces an urgent national security and economic need to
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28   secure access to critical minerals through development of domestic supplies;
29WHEREAS, access to a domestic supply of critical minerals is essential for development,
30   deployment, and scaling of advanced energy technologies, strengthening the United States'
31   energy reliability, resilience, and global competitiveness;
32WHEREAS, the United States can mitigate supply-chain risks by leveraging international
33   partnerships with allies to develop diversified supply chains;
34WHEREAS, Utah has the most diverse mineral estate of any state, hosting 50 of the 60
35   minerals listed as critical by the United States Geological Survey;
36WHEREAS, Utah was recently named the number one global mining jurisdiction in a
37   survey of mining executives conducted by the Fraser Institute, a prestigious Canadian policy
38   institute;
39WHEREAS, the University of Utah has one of only 14 accredited mining engineering
40   programs in the nation;
41WHEREAS, Utah, as the crossroads of the West, is geographically positioned to serve as a
42   hub for mining exploration and development, mining services, logistics, and infrastructure for
43   the mining industry;
44WHEREAS, in the 2025 General Session, the Legislature passed S.J.R. 11, Joint Resolution
45   Regarding Critical Minerals, which called on private industry to form a technical working
46   group to develop a strategy to position Utah as a national leader in critical minerals;
47WHEREAS, the working group recommended the creation of an open-access user research
48   facility, provisionally called the Minerals for Industrial, National, and Economic Security
49   Center (MINES Center);
50WHEREAS, the MINES Center would provide shared laboratory facilities to de-risk and
51   accelerate the commercialization of new mineral extraction and processing technologies;
52WHEREAS, the MINES Center would partner with industry and academia to advance
53   extraction and processing technologies, including by providing for pilot-scale demonstrations
54   and scale up, technology benchmarking and performance validation, and autonomous sampling
55   and real-time analysis;
56WHEREAS, the MINES Center would serve as the state's primary partner in moving
57   extraction and processing technologies from research to commercialization, including through
58   workforce training, testing and piloting of technology, federal grant coordination, and
59   development of processing capacity;
60WHEREAS, the MINES Center would facilitate coordinated statewide critical minerals
61   development and maximize Utah's leadership in the domestic critical minerals supply chain;
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62      WHEREAS, the MINES Center would further establish Utah as the nation's critical
63  minerals mining, refining, recycling, and research capital;
64      WHEREAS, the MINES Center would lay the foundation for the establishment of a critical
65  minerals national lab in the state;
66      WHEREAS, funding from the federal government is an essential component of successful
67  and timely development of domestic critical minerals supplies and the MINES Center's efforts
68  to accelerate critical minerals research and development;
69      WHEREAS, block grants to the states, a funding mechanism the federal government has
70  used since the 1960s, would be the most efficient way to distribute federal money to the states
71  for critical minerals development;
72      WHEREAS, a block grant would give the state the flexibility required for coordinated and
73  strategic critical minerals development; and
74      WHEREAS, a block grant would also allow the state to quickly identify and fund shovel
75  ready projects, immediately accelerating the extraction and processing of critical minerals in
76  the state:
77      NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah, the
78  Governor concurring therein, supports the creation of a MINES Center within the state.
79      BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and the Governor support efforts by the
80  following to provide resources, information, and assistance to the MINES Center:
81      • Division of Oil, Gas, and Mining;
82      • Office of Energy Development;
83      • Department of Environmental Quality;
84      • Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity;
85      • University of Utah; and
86      • other relevant agencies and institutions of higher education.
87      BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and the Governor support the MINES
88  Center's work laying the foundation for the establishment of a critical minerals national lab
89  within the state.
90      BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and the Governor encourage the federal
91  government to utilize block grants for the distribution of critical minerals funding.
92      BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and the Governor encourage the state's
93  congressional delegation to support the state's efforts to create a MINES Center and to position
94  Utah as a national leader in critical minerals research and development.
95      BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and the Governor also call on the
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96   state's congressional delegation to work with the state to achieve a designation and funding for
97   a critical minerals national lab in the state.
98BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be prepared and submitted to
99   the six members representing Utah in the United States Congress.
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