{"format":1,"id":"119-hr-1366","congress":119,"number":"H.R. 1366","kind":"bill","group":"bills","title":"Mining Regulatory Clarity Act","title_source":"Short Title(s) as Passed House","official_title":"To provide for the location of multiple hardrock mining mill sites, to establish the Abandoned Hardrock Mine Fund, and for other purposes.","titles":[{"type":"Official Title as Introduced","title":"To provide for the location of multiple hardrock mining mill sites, to establish the Abandoned Hardrock Mine Fund, and for other purposes."},{"type":"Short Title(s) from PCS (Placed on Senate Calendar) bill text","title":"Mining Regulatory Clarity Act"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Passed House","title":"Mining Regulatory Clarity Act"},{"type":"Official Title from EH (Engrossed in House) bill text","title":"To provide for the location of multiple hardrock mining mill sites, to establish the Abandoned Hardrock Mine Fund, and for other purposes."},{"type":"Display Title","title":"Mining Regulatory Clarity Act"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Reported to House","title":"Mining Regulatory Clarity Act"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Introduced","title":"Mining Regulatory Clarity Act of 2025"}],"outcome":"passed_house","law_number":null,"introduced":"2025-02-14","chambers":{"house":{"status":"roll_call","date":"2025-12-18","vote":{"id":"119-2025-h358","question":"On Passage","title":"Mining Regulatory Clarity Act","result":"Passed","yea":219,"nay":198,"present":0,"not_voting":16,"source":"https://clerk.house.gov/evs/2025/roll358.xml"}},"senate":{"status":"pending","date":null,"vote":null}},"president":{"status":"not_yet","date":null},"vice_president_tie_breaker":null,"latest_action":{"text":"Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 357.","date":"2026-03-17"},"nominees":null,"amendments":[],"other_votes":[{"chamber":"house","date":"2025-12-18","question":"On Motion to Recommit","title":"Mining Regulatory Clarity Act","result":"Failed","yea":205,"nay":213,"present":0,"not_voting":15,"kind":"procedural","source":"https://clerk.house.gov/evs/2025/roll357.xml"}],"crs_summary":{"date":"2025-11-25","stage":"Reported to House","blocks":[{"k":"h","t":"Mining Regulatory Clarity Act"},{"k":"p","t":"This bill allows mining operators to use federal lands for activities ancillary to mining, such as waste disposal, regardless of whether those lands contain mineral deposits valuable enough to be mined (mineral validity). It also establishes the Abandoned Hardrock Mine Fund."},{"k":"p","t":"The bill addresses a 2022 decision in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit related to the Rosemont Copper Mine in Arizona (commonly known as the Rosemont decision, described further in CRS Report R48166). The court held that mining claims are only allowed where mineral validity has been established and that mill site claims are more appropriate means for establishing a mining waste disposal site under the Mining Act."},{"k":"p","t":"The bill allows a mining operator to (1) locate and include within its plan of operations as many mill site claims (e.g., areas for waste rock disposal) as are reasonably necessary for its operations, and (2) use or occupy public land in accordance with an approved plan of operations."},{"k":"p","t":"Additionally, the bill requires any revenue generated from fees for such mill site claims to be deposited into the Abandoned Hardrock Mine Fund. The Department of the Interior must use the fund for certain abandoned hardrock mine reclamation activities."}],"words":204},"summary":{"main_subject":{"text":"Amends the Revised Statutes to let the proprietor of a lode or placer claim locate additional mill sites on public land for operations within an approved plan of operations, and establishes the Abandoned Hardrock Mine Fund in the Treasury.","cites":[{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1366/text/eh#H606557A4B7E947BDB3B5B1652C955BE1"}]},"core_areas":["Mill site claims for hardrock mining operations","Abandoned Hardrock Mine Fund"],"what_it_does":[{"text":"Allows the proprietor of a lode or placer claim to locate and include in a plan of operations as many mill site claims as are reasonably necessary for its operations, and to use or occupy public land under an approved plan of operations.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1366/text/eh#H606557A4B7E947BDB3B5B1652C955BE1"}},{"text":"Limits a single mill site to 5 acres, provides that a mill site conveys no mineral rights to the locator, and makes a mill site ineligible for patenting.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1366/text/eh#H606557A4B7E947BDB3B5B1652C955BE1"}},{"text":"Provides that a mill site may be located on a tract where the claimant or operator already holds a lode or placer claim, and that locating a mill site does not affect the validity of any lode or placer claim or its associated rights.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1366/text/eh#H606557A4B7E947BDB3B5B1652C955BE1"}},{"text":"Establishes a separate account in the Treasury called the Abandoned Hardrock Mine Fund.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1366/text/eh#H606557A4B7E947BDB3B5B1652C955BE1"}},{"text":"Requires amounts the Secretary of the Interior collects as the claim maintenance fee on these mill sites to be deposited into the Abandoned Hardrock Mine Fund.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1366/text/eh#H606557A4B7E947BDB3B5B1652C955BE1"}},{"text":"Allows the Secretary of the Interior to spend from the Fund without further appropriations, only to carry out section 40704 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1366/text/eh#H606557A4B7E947BDB3B5B1652C955BE1"}}],"unexpected":[],"version":{"type":"Engrossed in House","date":"2025-12-18","rule":"passed","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1366/text/eh"},"current":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","approved":"2026-10-12","approved_by":"checks"},"sources":{"congress_gov":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1366","text":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1366/text"},"card":{"image":"card/item/119-hr-1366.png","v":"9e23b26b3197","alt":"Votes on Record. H.R. 1366, 119th Congress: Mining Regulatory Clarity Act. House: 219 Yea, 198 Nay. Senate: not yet considered. Outcome: Passed House, 18 Dec 2025."}}