108TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 4625
AN ACT
To reduce temporarily the royalty required to be
paid for sodium produced on Federal lands, and
for other purposes.
108TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 4625
AN ACT
To reduce temporarily the royalty required to be paid for
sodium produced on Federal lands, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Soda Ash Royalty Re-
duction Act of 2004’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
(1) The combination of global competitive pres-
sures, flat domestic demand, and spiraling costs of
production threaten the future of the United States
soda ash industry.
(2) Despite booming world demand, growth in
United States exports of soda ash since 1997 has
been flat, with most of the world’s largest markets
for such growth, including Brazil, the People’s Re-
public of China, India, the countries of eastern Eu-
rope, and the Republic of South Africa, have been
closed by protectionist policies.
(3) The People’s Republic of China is the prime
competitor of the United States in soda ash produc-
tion, and recently supplanted the United States as
the largest producer of soda ash in the world.
(4) Over 700 jobs have been lost in the United
States soda ash industry since the Department of
the Interior increased the royalty rate on soda ash
produced on Federal land, in 1996.
(5) Reduction of the royalty rate on soda ash
produced on Federal land will provide needed relief
to the United States soda ash industry and allow it
to increase export growth and competitiveness in
emerging world markets, and create new jobs in the
United States.
SEC. 3. REDUCTION IN ROYALTY RATE ON SODA ASH.
Notwithstanding section 102(a)(9) of the Federal
Land Policy Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C.
1701(a)(9)), section 24 of the Mineral Leasing Act (30
U.S.C. 262), and the terms of any lease under that Act,
the royalty rate on the quantity or gross value of the out-
put of sodium compounds and related products at the
point of shipment to market from Federal land in the 5-
year period beginning on the date of the enactment of this
Act shall be 2 percent.
SEC. 4. STUDY.
After the end of the 4-year period beginning on the
date of the enactment of this Act, and before the end of
the 5-year period beginning on that date, the Secretary
of the Interior shall report to the Congress on the effects
of the royalty reduction under this Act, including—
(1) the amount of sodium compounds and re-
lated products at the point of shipment to market
from Federal land during that 4-year period;
(2) the number of jobs that have been created
or maintained during the royalty reduction period;
(3) the total amount of royalty paid to the
United States on the quantity or gross value of the
output of sodium compounds and related products at
the point of shipment to market produced during
that 4-year period, and the portion of such royalty
paid to States; and
(4) a recommendation of whether the reduced
royalty rate should apply after the end of the 5-year
period beginning on the date of the enactment of
this Act.
Passed the House of Representatives July 19, 2004.
Attest:
Clerk.