Cooperative Critical Minerals Quantum Mapping Act of 2026

Section 1. Short Title. This Act may be cited as the Cooperative Critical Minerals Quantum Mapping Act of 2026. Section 2. Findings. Congress finds that critical mineral security is essential to national defense and economic prosperity, and that quantum-enhanced remote sensing can significantly improve the accuracy and speed of mineral mapping while respecting state and private property rights. Section 3. Voluntary State-Federal Partnership. The Secretary of the Interior, acting through the U.S. Geological Survey, shall establish a voluntary cooperative program with any state that requests assistance in mapping critical mineral deposits within its borders. Participation shall be by written agreement between the Secretary and the governor of the state, specifying the scope, duration, and data-sharing terms. No federal mapping shall occur on non-federal lands without explicit state consent. Section 4. Private Property Protections. Prior to conducting any mapping activity on private land, the United States shall obtain a written easement or license from the landowner, or demonstrate that the mapping is conducted from public airspace at altitudes exceeding 500 feet and uses only passive sensing technologies that do not invade the curtilage of a home or violate the Fourth Amendment. Any data collected that reveals proprietary information on mineral deposits shall be kept confidential and not disclosed without the landowner’s permission, subject to a penalty of $10,000 per day for unauthorized disclosure. Section 5. Funding and Oversight. The program shall be funded by an excise tax of 0.5% on the gross value of critical minerals extracted from deposits discovered using this program, collected by the Bureau of Land Management and deposited into the Critical Minerals Mapping Trust Fund. Total authorized spending from the Fund is capped at $200 million over five fiscal years. The Government Accountability Office shall audit the program annually and report to Congress on cost-effectiveness, any constitutional concerns, and the volume of mineral resources discovered. The program shall sunset on September 30, 2031, unless renewed by Congress. Section 6. Enforcement. Any officer or employee of the United States who knowingly conducts mapping on non-federal land without the required consent or easement shall be subject to a civil penalty of $5,000 per violation, and the Attorney General may bring an action to enjoin further unauthorized mapping.