velop and implement, and that has the ability to carry out, 
all or a significant portion of a reclamation program under 
this subtitle. 
SEC. 414. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
Amounts credited to the Hardrock Reclamation Ac-
count are authorized to be appropriated for the purpose of 
this subtitle without fiscal year limitation. 
Subtitle C—Use of Hardrock Com-
munity Impact Assistance Ac-
count 
SEC. 421. USE AND OBJECTIVES OF THE ACCOUNT. 
Amounts in the Hardrock Community Impact Assist-
ance Account shall be available to the Secretary, subject to 
appropriations, to provide assistance for the planning, con-
struction, and maintenance of public facilities and the pro-
vision of public services to States, political subdivisions and 
Indian tribes that are socially or economically impacted by 
mineral activities conducted under the general mining laws. 
SEC. 422. ALLOCATION OF FUNDS. 
Moneys deposited into the Hardrock Community Im-
pact Assistance Account shall be allocated by the Secretary 
for purposes of section 421 among the States within the 
boundaries of which occurs production of locatable minerals 
from mining claims located under the general mining laws 
and maintained in compliance with this Act, or mineral 
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concentrates or products derived from locatable minerals 
from mining claims located under the general mining laws 
and maintained in compliance with this Act, as the case 
may be, in proportion to the amount of such production 
in each such State. 
TITLE V—ADMINISTRATIVE AND 
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS 
Subtitle A—Administrative 
Provisions 
SEC. 501. POLICY FUNCTIONS. 
(a) MINERALS POLICY.—Section 101 of the Mining 
and Minerals Policy Act of 1970 (30 U.S.C. 21a) is amend-
ed— 
(1) in the first sentence by inserting before the 
period at the end the following: ‘‘and to ensure that 
mineral extraction and processing not cause undue 
degradation of the natural and cultural resources of 
the public lands’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end thereof the following: 
‘‘It shall also be the responsibility of the Secretary of 
Agriculture to carry out the policy provisions of 
paragraphs (1) and (2) of this section.’’. 
(b) MINERAL DATA.—Section 5(e)(3) of the National 
Materials and Minerals Policy, Research and Development 
Act of 1980 (30 U.S.C. 1604(e)(3)) is amended by inserting 
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before the period the following: ‘‘, except that for National 
Forest System lands the Secretary of Agriculture shall 
promptly initiate actions to improve the availability and 
analysis of mineral data in public land use decision-
making’’. 
SEC. 502. USER FEES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary and the Secretary of 
Agriculture may each establish and collect from persons 
subject to the requirements of this Act such user fees as may 
be necessary to reimburse the United States for the expenses 
incurred in administering such requirements. Fees may be 
assessed and collected under this section only in such man-
ner as may reasonably be expected to result in an aggregate 
amount of the fees collected during any fiscal year which 
does not exceed the aggregate amount of administrative ex-
penses referred to in this section. 
(b) ADJUSTMENT.—(1) The Secretary shall adjust the 
fees required by this section to reflect changes in the Con-
sumer Price Index published by the Bureau of Labor Statis-
tics of the Department of Labor every 5 years after the date 
of enactment of this Act, or more frequently if the Secretary 
determines an adjustment to be reasonable. 
(2) The Secretary shall provide claimants notice of 
any adjustment made under this subsection not later than 
July 1 of any year in which the adjustment is made. 
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(3) A fee adjustment under this subsection shall begin 
to apply the calendar year following the calendar year in 
which it is made. 
SEC. 503. INSPECTION AND MONITORING. 
(a) INSPECTIONS.—(1) The Secretary, or for National 
Forest System lands the Secretary of Agriculture, shall 
make inspections of mineral activities so as to ensure com-
pliance with the requirements of this Act. 
(2) The Secretary concerned shall establish a frequency 
of inspections for mineral activities conducted under a per-
mit issued under title III, but in no event shall such inspec-
tion frequency be less than one complete inspection per cal-
endar quarter or, two per calendar quarter in the case of 
a permit for which the Secretary concerned approves an 
application under section 304(f) (relating to temporary ces-
sation of operations). After revegetation has been established 
in accordance with a reclamation plan, such Secretary shall 
conduct annually 2 complete inspections. Such Secretary 
shall have the discretion to modify the inspection frequency 
for mineral activities that are conducted on a seasonal 
basis. Inspections shall continue under this subsection until 
final release of financial assurance. 
(3)(A) Any person who has reason to believe he or she 
is or may be adversely affected by mineral activities due 
to any violation of the requirements of a permit approved 
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under this Act may request an inspection. The Secretary, 
or for National Forest System lands the Secretary of Agri-
culture, shall determine within 10 working days of receipt 
of the request whether the request states a reason to believe 
that a violation exists. If the person alleges and provides 
reason to believe that an imminent threat to the environ-
ment or danger to the health or safety of the public exists, 
the 10-day period shall be waived and the inspection shall 
be conducted immediately. When an inspection is conducted 
under this paragraph, the Secretary concerned shall notify 
the person requesting the inspection, and such person shall 
be allowed to accompany the Secretary concerned or the 
Secretary’s authorized representative during the inspection. 
The Secretary shall not incur any liability for allowing 
such person to accompany an authorized representative. 
The identity of the person supplying information to the Sec-
retary relating to a possible violation or imminent danger 
or harm shall remain confidential with the Secretary if so 
requested by that person, unless that person elects to accom-
pany an authorized representative on the inspection. 
(B) The Secretaries shall, by joint rule, establish proce-
dures for the review of (i) any decision by an authorized 
representative not to inspect; or (ii) any refusal by such 
representative to ensure that remedial actions are taken 
with respect to any alleged violation. The Secretary con-
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