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Sponsor urges battery stewardship to reclaim critical minerals; debate over stewardship design continues
Summary
Sponsor said HB16002 would create a battery stewardship program to recover critical minerals for U.S. supply chains; committee members asked for clarifying amendments to allow independent collectors and to ensure materials are recycled domestically.
Representative Karen Eel urged the subcommittee to support HB16002, arguing battery recycling is critical to recovering rare earths and other critical minerals (lithium, cobalt, nickel) that the United States lacks in domestic reserves. She said recycling is a strategic economic and national‑security imperative and that a stewardship program could keep minerals in U.S. supply chains for manufacturing.
Sponsor and witnesses clarified that participation is not limited to PRBA members and that stewardship plans can accommodate independent collectors; the committee discussed language to register independent collectors with DEES and to specify recycling‑efficiency reporting. Representatives asked for a tighter draft to ensure recovered materials are recycled in the U.S. where possible, and for assurances that materials will not simply be exported to overseas processors without domestic value recovery.
Next steps: the sponsor will work with committee members and stakeholders on a revised amendment that addresses independent collectors, reporting and transparency on downstream processing.
