I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2053 
To amend the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 to 
enhance and support mining and mineral engineering programs in the 
United States by funding activities at mining schools, and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 6, 2017 
Ms. MCSALLY (for herself, Mr. PERLMUTTER, Mr. AMODEI, Mrs. NOEM, and 
Mr. YOUNG of Alaska) introduced the following bill; which was referred 
to the Committee on Natural Resources 
A BILL 
To amend the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act 
of 1977 to enhance and support mining and mineral 
engineering programs in the United States by funding 
activities at mining schools, 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 ‘‘Mining School En-
hancement Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. SUPPORT FOR MINING SCHOOLS. 
Section 721 of the Surface Mining Control and Rec-
lamation Act of 1977 (30 U.S.C. 1309b) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘The Office of Surface Mining 
Reclamation and Enforcement’’ and inserting the 
following: 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subsection (b), the 
Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement’’; 
and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(b) MINING PROGRAM SUPPORT.— 
‘‘(1) Of the amounts made available under this 
Act for activities authorized under this section, the 
Director of the Office of Surface Mining Reclama-
tion and Enforcement shall ensure that at least 50 
percent is expended to enhance and support mining 
and mineral engineering programs in the United 
States by funding activities at mining schools. 
‘‘(2) In expending funds under this section, the 
Director shall consult with relevant stakeholders and 
ensure a significant opportunity for participation by 
undergraduate and graduate students at mining 
schools. 
‘‘(3) The Director shall ensure that the activi-
ties conducted under this section relate to resource 
development and production, and include— 
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‘‘(A) studies of mining, mineral extraction 
efficiency, and related processing technology; 
‘‘(B) mineral economics, reclamation tech-
nology, and practices for active mining oper-
ations; 
‘‘(C) the development of remining systems 
and technologies that facilitate reclamation that 
fosters the recovery of resources at abandoned 
mine sites; 
‘‘(D) investigations of mineral resource ex-
traction methods that reduce environmental and 
human impacts; 
‘‘(E) reducing dependence on foreign en-
ergy supplies; 
‘‘(F) enhancing the competitiveness of 
United States energy technology exports; 
‘‘(G) the extraction or processing of coin-
ciding mineralization, including rare earth ele-
ments, within coal, coal processing byproduct, 
overburden or coal residue; and 
‘‘(H) enhancing technologies and practices 
related to mitigation of acid mine drainage, re-
forestation, and revegetation in the reclamation 
of land and water resources adversely affected 
by coal mining. 
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‘‘(c) MINING SCHOOL DEFINED.—In this section the 
term ‘mining school’ means a mining, metallurgical, or 
mineral engineering program or department accredited by 
the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, 
Inc., that is located at an institution of higher education 
(as that term is defined in section 631(a) of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1132(a))) in the United 
States.’’. 
Æ 
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