Earth MRI Reauthorization Act of 2026
Latest action · Oct 29, 2026 Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 759.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedJul 9, 2026
- Passed HouseNot reached
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Earth MRI Reauthorization Act of 2026
This bill reauthorizes through FY2031 the Earth Mapping Resources Initiative, a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) program charged with integrating and modernizing the mapping of U.S. natural resources, with a focus on critical mineral resources such as lithium and titanium. The bill also expands the initiative’s data integration functions and requires the USGS to give preference to U.S. contractors under the initiative.
Specifically, the bill requires entities contracting with the USGS pursuant to the initiative to disclose the ownership of the primary contractor and each subcontractor carrying out a part of the contract. To the extent practicable, the USGS must give preference to entities owned and controlled in the United States when entering contracts under the initiative, while giving appropriate consideration to specialized expertise essential to the objectives of the initiative.
Further, under current law, the initiative is required to provide certain types of integrated mapping, including geologic, geophysical, and topographical mapping. Under the bill, the initiative must include data from the USGS 3D Hydrography Program, which maps U.S. water resources. The bill also explicitly allows the initiative’s integrated mapping to include data from modern sensing technologies, including real-time data acquisition systems and data-driven analytical methods.
Cosponsors 8
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Jul 9, 2026 to Oct 19, 2026; 1 is an original cosponsor, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-MI | Debbie Dingell | Original | Jul 9, 2026 |
| D-NV | Susie Lee | Sep 1, 2026 | |
| R-TN | Charles J. "Chuck" Fleischmann | Sep 14, 2026 | |
| R-OK | Stephanie I. Bice | Sep 14, 2026 | |
| D-MD | Sarah Elfreth | Sep 15, 2026 | |
| R-CO | Jeff Crank | Sep 17, 2026 | |
| R-CO | Gabe Evans | Sep 28, 2026 | |
| D-NM | Gabe Vasquez | Oct 19, 2026 |
Committees 1
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| House | Natural Resources Committee | Referred Jul 9, 2026Markup Sep 15, 2026Reported Oct 29, 2026 |
| Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee | Referred Jul 14, 2026Hearings Jul 21, 2026Discharged Sep 15, 2026 |
Actions 9
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Oct 29, 2026Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 119-862.
- Oct 29, 2026Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 759.
- Sep 15, 2026Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources Discharged
- Sep 15, 2026Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
- Sep 15, 2026Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute by Unanimous Consent.
- Jul 21, 2026Subcommittee Hearings Held
- Jul 14, 2026Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources.
- Jul 9, 2026Introduced in House
- Jul 9, 2026Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
Research
What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.
Committee report
Congressional Budget Office cost estimate
- Oct 30, 2026H.R. 9640, Earth MRI Reauthorization Act of 2026As reported by the House Committee on Natural Resources on October 29, 2026
Constitutional authority
The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 172, no. 112, July 9, 2026, page H4381.
Titles 3
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- To amend the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to reauthorize the Earth Mapping Resources Initiative, and for other purposes.
- Short Title(s) as Introduced
- Earth MRI Reauthorization Act of 2026
- Short Title(s) as Reported to House
- Earth MRI Reauthorization Act of 2026
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Energy.
Text 2
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Oct 29, 2026Reported in House
- Jul 9, 2026Introduced in House
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
