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Congress·Passed House·H.R. 1366

House Passes Mining Regulatory Clarity Act, Funding Abandoned Mine Cleanup With New Site Fees

Mining Regulatory Clarity Act

3 months ago·View on Congress.gov

Legislative Progress

House

219198

Senate
President
Law

Key Points

  • Lets mines use multiple small support sites on public land, each up to 5 acres, for things like waste rock and tailings

    From policy text

    The term `mill site' means a location of public land that is reasonably necessary for waste rock or tailings disposal or other operations reasonably incident to mineral development on, or production from land included in a plan of operations.
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  • These support sites do not give rights to the minerals and cannot be turned into private property

    From policy text

    A mill site under this section shall not be eligible for patenting.
    View in full text
  • Fees from these sites go into a new fund to clean up abandoned hardrock mines, like fixing polluted water and unsafe pits

    From policy text

    Any amounts collected by the Secretary of the Interior pursuant to the claim maintenance fee under section 10101(a)(1) of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993 (30 U.S.C. 28f(a)(1)) on mill sites located under subsection (c) of section 2337 of the Revised Statutes of the United States (30 U.S.C. 42) shall be deposited into the Fund.
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  • Companies must follow an approved plan, and the government keeps full power to regulate and protect parks, wildlife, and historic places

    From policy text

    use or occupy public land in accordance with an approved plan of operations.
    View in full text
  • Updates some older mining law language and fee rules without opening closed lands to new mining
EnvironmentEnergyEconomyInfrastructure

Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

How this policy affects specific groups of people

Mixed Impacts(5)
Chronic Illness
Neutral
Housing Assistance
Neutral
Homeowner
Neutral
Renter
Neutral
Small Business Owner
Neutral

Milestones

4 milestones24 actions
Mar 17, 2026Senate

Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 357.

Dec 18, 2025Senate

Received in the Senate.

Dec 18, 2025House

Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

Dec 18, 2025House

On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 219 - 198 (Roll no. 358). (text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR H6044)

Dec 18, 2025

Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 219 - 198 (Roll no. 358).

What Happens Next

Projected impacts based on AI analysis

After the bill becomes law

Operators can propose more than one mill site per mining claim when it’s “reasonably necessary,” as part of a federal plan of operations.

Mining projects on federal land may be able to design larger or more realistic support areas (like tailings storage) without being blocked by a strict one‑site limit, which can speed up project planning once the rule is in effect.

After the bill becomes law and fees are collected

Claim maintenance fees collected on these new mill sites start flowing into the Abandoned Hardrock Mine Fund.

Instead of going into a general bucket, those fees would be set aside for abandoned hardrock mine cleanup, increasing available cleanup funding when more mill sites are filed and maintained.

Vote Results

2 votes
HouseFailedAmendmentDec 18, 2025

On Motion to Recommit

205
213
Democrat
2051 · 7
Republican
0212 · 8
View full roll call
HousePassedPassageDec 18, 2025

On Passage

219
198
Democrat
9197 · 7
Republican
2101 · 9
View full roll call

Related Bills

3 bills
S. 544Related bill

Mining Regulatory Clarity Act

Feb 11Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 334.

H.R. 4754Related bill

Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026

Jul 24Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 175.

H.Res. 951Related bill

Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 4776) to amend the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 to clarify ambiguous provisions and facilitate a more efficient, effective, and timely environmental review process; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 1366) to provide for the location of multiple hardrock mining mill sites, to establish the Abandoned Hardrock Mine Fund, and for other purposes; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 845) to require the Secretary of the Interior to reissue regulations removing the gray wolf from the list of endangered and threatened wildlife under the Endangered Species Act of 1973; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 3616) to require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to review regulations that may affect the reliable operation of the bulk-power system; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 3632) to amend the Federal Power Act to adjust the requirements for orders, rules, and regulations relating to furnishing adequate service, to require owners or operators of generating facilities to provide notice of planned retirements of certain electric generating units, and for other purposes; and providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 4371) to amend the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 to enhance efforts to combat the trafficking of children.

Dec 16Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Mining Regulatory Clarity Act

Bill NumberHR 1366
Congress119th Congress
ChamberHouse of Representatives
Latest ActionRead twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 357.

Sponsor

Cosponsors

(2)
D: 1R: 1

Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.