WHEREAS, in 2024, the United States was 100% net import reliant for 12 critical minerals and greater than 50% net import reliant for an additional 29 critical minerals, according to the United States Geological Survey;WHEREAS, the United States faces an urgent national security and economic need to secure access to critical minerals through development of domestic supplies;WHEREAS, access to a domestic supply of critical minerals is essential for development, deployment, and scaling of advanced energy technologies, strengthening the United States' energy reliability, resilience, and global competitiveness;WHEREAS, the United States can mitigate supply-chain risks by leveraging international partnerships with allies to develop diversified supply chains;WHEREAS, Utah has the most diverse mineral estate of any state, hosting 50 of the 60 minerals listed as critical by the United States Geological Survey;WHEREAS, Utah was recently named the number one global mining jurisdiction in a survey of mining executives conducted by the Fraser Institute, a prestigious Canadian policy institute;WHEREAS, the University of Utah has one of only 14 accredited mining engineering programs in the nation;WHEREAS, Utah, as the crossroads of the West, is geographically positioned to serve as a hub for mining exploration and development, mining services, logistics, and infrastructure for the mining industry;WHEREAS, in the 2025 General Session, the Legislature passed S.J.R. 11, Joint Resolution Regarding Critical Minerals, which called on private industry to form a technical working group to develop a strategy to position Utah as a national leader in critical minerals;WHEREAS, the working group recommended the creation of an open-access user research facility, provisionally called the Minerals for Industrial, National, and Economic Security Center (MINES Center);WHEREAS, the MINES Center would provide shared laboratory facilities to de-risk and accelerate the commercialization of new mineral extraction and processing technologies;WHEREAS, the MINES Center would partner with industry and academia to advance extraction and processing technologies, including by providing for pilot-scale demonstrations and scale up, technology benchmarking and performance validation, and autonomous sampling and real-time analysis;WHEREAS, the MINES Center would serve as the state's primary partner in moving extraction and processing technologies from research to commercialization, including through workforce training, testing and piloting of technology, federal grant coordination, and development of processing capacity;WHEREAS, the MINES Center would facilitate coordinated statewide critical minerals development and maximize Utah's leadership in the domestic critical minerals supply chain;WHEREAS, the MINES Center would further establish Utah as the nation's critical minerals mining, refining, recycling, and research capital;WHEREAS, the MINES Center would lay the foundation for the establishment of a critical minerals national lab in the state;WHEREAS, funding from the federal government is an essential component of successful and timely development of domestic critical minerals supplies and the MINES Center's efforts to accelerate critical minerals research and development;WHEREAS, block grants to the states, a funding mechanism the federal government has used since the 1960s, would be the most efficient way to distribute federal money to the states for critical minerals development;WHEREAS, a block grant would give the state the flexibility required for coordinated and strategic critical minerals development; andWHEREAS, a block grant would also allow the state to quickly identify and fund shovel ready projects, immediately accelerating the extraction and processing of critical minerals in the state:NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah, the Governor concurring therein, supports the creation of a MINES Center within the state.BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and the Governor support efforts by the following to provide resources, information, and assistance to the MINES Center: Division of Oil, Gas, and Mining; Office of Energy Development; Department of Environmental Quality; Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity; University of Utah; and other relevant agencies and institutions of higher education.BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and the Governor support the MINES Center's work laying the foundation for the establishment of a critical minerals national lab within the state.BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and the Governor encourage the federal government to utilize block grants for the distribution of critical minerals funding.BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and the Governor encourage the state's congressional delegation to support the state's efforts to create a MINES Center and to position Utah as a national leader in critical minerals research and development.BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and the Governor also call on the state's congressional delegation to work with the state to achieve a designation and funding for a critical minerals national lab in the state.BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be prepared and submitted to the six members representing Utah in the United States Congress.