Bond Improvement and Reclamation Assurance Act of 2026

Key Points

• 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