Supply chain security

WHEREAS, Washington state is determined to lead a resurgence of 1
domestic manufacturing capabilities in fields of strategic 2
consequence to America and its allies; and 3
WHEREAS, The prosperity and security of Washington and the 4
Pacific Northwest Region will require development of a supply chain 5
of critical materials, including raw materials needed for specific 6
applications in advanced computing and data storage, clean energy and 7
transportation, and defense technologies; and 8
WHEREAS, In 2015, the Washington State Legislature formed and 9
invested in a Joint Center for Deployment and Research in Earth 10
Abundant Materials (JCDREAM) to accelerate the development of next-11
generation clean energy and transportation technologies in Washington 12
state and to increase awareness of critical minerals supply chain 13
risks and their ramifications for Washington's leading employers and 14
economy; and 15
WHEREAS, A recent study prepared for JCDREAM observed that the 16
state's economy is comparatively more dependent on supply chains for 17
critical minerals disproportionately controlled by countries that 18
could cut off United States supplies; and 19
WHEREAS, A disruption to Washington's economy would result in 20
economic disruption for the wider region; and 21
WHEREAS, In addition to the economic concerns, there are 22
environmental and human rights concerns shared across our region 23
H-0782.1
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 4402
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Representatives Abell, Dye, and Graham
Read first time 01/28/25. Referred to Committee on Technology,
Economic Development, & Veterans.
p. 1 HCR 4402
concerning the mining and refining operations in some countries where 1
supplies are currently sourced; and 2
WHEREAS, Washington state is a proud partner in a regional 3
economic development collaboration known as the Pacific NorthWest 4
Economic Region (PNWER), a statutory public/private nonprofit created 5
by the states of Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, Washington, and the 6
Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and 7
the Yukon and Northwest Territories; and 8
WHEREAS, PNWER has a working group on mining that is committed to 9
promoting a better understanding of the region's mineral resource 10
potential and showcasing the best practices for environmental 11
sustainability; 12
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, By the House of Representatives 13
of the state of Washington, the Senate concurring, That its long-term 14
economic competitiveness and security rests upon secure and 15
sustainable supply chains; and 16
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Washington State House of 17
Representatives intends to deepen its commitment to being a center of 18
excellence for research in sustainable substitutes to critical 19
materials and increase resilience to potential economic disruption by 20
fostering collaboration in and through PNWER on regional supply chain 21
security solutions; and 22
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That PNWER is encouraged to undertake a 23
long-term strategy to facilitate cooperation on the full spectrum of 24
resilient supply chain solutions, from research in alternatives to 25
mining and refining; and 26
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That all Washington state House of 27
Representatives legislators who attend PNWER official meetings with 28
financial support from Washington state taxpayers do their utmost to 29
support a long-term strategy of regional cooperation on secure and 30
sustainable supply chains of materials critical to our economic 31
future. 32
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p. 2 HCR 4402