Congress·Passed House·H.R. 3872

MERICA Act of 2025

House Passes MERICA Act, Requiring Federal Leases for Hardrock Mining on Federal Lands

Dec 15, 2025·View on Congress.gov·Read full text

Part of: Congress Moves to Overhaul Hardrock Mining Laws with Royalties and Leases

StalledNext up: The SenateNo action in 7 months

The House passed this bill in December 2025, but it is now stalled in the Senate. Nothing has happened with the bill since December 2025. The Senate must take action for the bill to move forward, though it is common for House bills to never receive a vote in the Senate.

Legislative Progress

✓ House

Senate

No action since December 2025

President

Law

Key Points

Expands an existing federal law so it also covers mining for hard rock minerals like gold, copper, and other metals on certain federal lands.
Makes companies get federal leases, not just old-style mining claims, when they want to mine these hard rock minerals on lands the government has acquired.
Clarifies what counts as a hard rock mineral, such as base metals and gemstones, and what does not, like coal, oil, gas, and common building materials.
Could bring in more money to the federal government from mining and allow more modern rules on environmental protection and land use.
Mining towns, nearby landowners, and tribal communities could see changes in how new mines are approved and how close they can be to homes, water, and cultural sites.

EnergyEnvironmentAgricultureEconomyInfrastructure

Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

How this policy affects specific groups of people

Mixed Impacts(3)

Chronic Illness

Neutral

Child Tax Credit

Neutral

Federal Employee

Neutral

Milestones

7 milestones18 actions

Dec 16, 2025Senate

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.

Dec 15, 2025House

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

Dec 15, 2025House

On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H5884)

The House fast-tracked this bill — limited debate, no amendments allowed, but needs two-thirds support to pass.

Dec 15, 2025

Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H5884)

The House fast-tracked this bill — limited debate, no amendments allowed, but needs two-thirds support to pass.

Dec 15, 2025House

DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 3872.

Related News

1 article

Nasdaq·Jan 28

Cotton, Cruz Introduce Bill to Expand Hardrock Mineral Leasing on Federal Lands

Senators Tom Cotton and Ted Cruz introduced the Senate version of the MERICA Act. The bill would list hardrock minerals like gold and silver alongside coal and oil as leasable deposits, allowing for increased mining activity on lands acquired by the federal government.

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No votes or related bills recorded for this bill yet.