Utah Valley Times

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the Recognizing the Importance of Critical Minerals in Healthcare Act of 2023, a bill introduced by Representative John Curtis from Utah. The legislation aims to amend the Energy Act of 2020, mandating that the Secretary of the Interior consult with the Secretary of Health and Human Services on designations related to critical minerals, elements, substances, and materials. This amendment seeks to ensure that minerals vital to the healthcare sector are considered when determining critical mineral designations.

Representative Curtis expressed his satisfaction with the bill's passage: "The passage of the Recognizing the Importance of Critical Minerals in Healthcare Act marks a crucial step toward ensuring our healthcare system has the resources it needs. By including the Department of Health and Human Services in decisions about critical minerals, we can make sure essential medical technologies—like MRIs—are never at risk of shortages."

Curtis also acknowledged bipartisan support and highlighted Congresswoman DeGette's leadership in addressing what he described as a gap in current policy. He emphasized that this legislative move is part of efforts to protect community health by bolstering medical infrastructure.

House Natural Resources Chair Bruce Westerman supported Curtis' initiative, noting, "Critical minerals play an important role in our health care system, powering essential technologies and devices but are susceptible to supply chain disruptions. This bill ensures minerals important to this industry are not forgotten when designations are made to the Critical Minerals List, minimizing supply disruptions moving forward."