Hill Heat

The legislative hearing will be on the following bills:

• H.R. 280 (Rep. Hageman), “Combatting Obstruction Against Leasing Act of 2025” or the “COAL Act of 2025”, to codify key aspects of the Trump administration’s EO 14261, “Reinvigorating America’s Beautiful Clean Coal Industry and amending Executive Order 14241,” by nullifying DOI’s Secretarial Order 3338, which placed a moratorium on new federal coal leases
• H.R. 1366 (Rep. Amodei), “Mining Regulatory Clarity Act of 2025”, to override the Rosemont decision, by creating a new category of mill sites to ensure that operators can use federal lands, whether mineral or non-mineral in character, for activities ancillary to mining, and also creates the Abandoned Hardrock Mine Fund
• H.R. 3872 (Rep. Fallon), “Mineral Extraction for Renewable Industry and Critical Applications Act of 2025” or the “MERICA Act of 2025”, to amend the Mineral Leasing Act for Acquired Lands to clarify that all federally acquired lands are eligible to be considered for hardrock mineral leasing
• H.R. 4018 (Rep. Ezell), to direct DOI and other federal agencies to accelerate leasing and permitting of seabed mineral projects on the OCS and to identify critical minerals recoverable from those resources, codifying key elements of EO 14285, “Unleashing America’s Offshore Critical Minerals and Resources”
• H.R. 4068 (Rep. Collins), “Streamlining NEPA for Coal Act”, to require the Secretary of the Interior to identify any existing and potential categorical exclusion under NEPA that could further the production and export of domestic coal
• H.R. 4090 (Rep. Stauber), To codify certain provisions of certain Executive Orders relating to domestic mining and hardrock mineral resources, including ordering DOI to annually report on the dollar value and overall economic impact of each mineral commodity for which the U.S. is import-reliant; requiring the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture, to identify priority mining projects on federal lands that can be immediately approved and take all necessary and appropriate steps to expedite these projects; directing the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture to identify all federal lands in their respective jurisdictions that may be suitable for hardrock mineral, exploration, development, or production, as well as potential sites for expanded production of hardrock minerals and their byproducts; directing DOI to revise or rescind agency actions that hinder mining projects, recommend changes to current law necessary to streamline domestic mining, and conduct a nationwide review of state and local laws or regulations that impede mineral exploration and development; and directing DOI to accelerate geologic mapping of the U.S., with a focus on hardrock mineral deposits

Hearing memo

Witnesses:

Panel I (Members of Congress):

• To Be Announced

Panel II (Administration Witness):

• Adam Suess, Acting Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management, U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C. [All bills]

Panel III (Outside Experts):

• Debra W. Struhsacker, Mining and Public Lands Policy Consultant and CoFounder, The Women’s Mining Coalition, Reno, NV [H.R. 1366, H.R. 3872, H.R. 4090]
• Travis Deti, Executive Director, Wyoming Mining Association, Cheyenne, WY [H.R. 280, H.R. 4068]
• Hans Smit, President and CEO, Ocean Minerals LLC, Spring, TX [H.R. 4018]
• Dr. Steve Feldgus, former Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Land and Minerals Management, U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C. [All bills] [Minority witness]