Congress·In Committee·H.R. 7249

Congress proposes higher coal mine cleanup bond standards to reduce risk taxpayers pay for reclamation

Bond Improvement and Reclamation Assurance Act of 2026

Legislative Progress

House

Senate

President

Law

Requires coal mining companies to post bonds that more realistically cover the full cost to clean up and restore mined land if a company walks away.
Sets a nationwide minimum bond amount of $52,593 per permit (updated each year for inflation), while still allowing regulators to require higher amounts.
Tells regulators to factor in inflation, early or sudden mine closures, and extra cleanup costs when setting bond amounts.
When a mining permit is sold or transferred, the bond must be recalculated, and major owners can still be held responsible for cleanup costs.
Requires inspectors to quickly flag site changes that could raise cleanup costs, and makes inspection info available to the public electronically.րմ

Energy EnvironmentEconomy Finance

Who is affectedScoreImpactCertaintyScopeDurationSentiment

Scores: 1 = low, 5 = highSentiment: -5 to +5 (net benefit)

DomainScoreShort-termLong-termReversibilityConfidence

Score

Scores: -5 (harmful) to +5 (beneficial)Short-term: 0-2 yearsLong-term: 10-30 years

StateScoreImpactCertaintyScopeDurationSentiment

Scores: 1 = low, 5 = highSentiment: -5 to +5 (net benefit)

2 milestones2 actions

Jan 27, 2026House

Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.

Jan 27, 2026

Introduced in House

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Bond Improvement and Reclamation Assurance Act of 2026

Bill NumberHR 7249

Congress119th Congress

ChamberHouse of Representatives

Latest ActionReferred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.

(2)

D: 2

Congress.gov

Official legislative information

Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.