225 
pursuant to this section (determined after ap-
plication of any limitation under subsection 
(h)(5)) is less than the amount required to be 
transferred, to the plan the amount necessary 
to meet the requirement of subsection (h)(2). 
‘‘(C) To the Combined Fund, $9,000,000 
on October 1, 2007, $9,000,000 on October 1, 
2008, and $9,000,000 on October 1, 2009 
(which amounts shall not be exceeded) to pro-
vide a refund of any premium (as described in 
section 9704(a) of the Internal Revenue Code 
of 1986) paid on or before September 7, 2000, 
to the Combined Fund, plus interest on the pre-
mium calculated at the rate of 7.5 percent per 
year, on a proportional basis and to be paid not 
later than 60 days after the date on which each 
payment is received by the Combined Fund, to 
those signatory operators (to the extent that 
the Combined Fund has not previously returned 
the premium amounts to the operators), or any 
related persons to the operators (as defined in 
section 9701(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 
1986), or their heirs, successors, or assigns who 
have been denied the refunds as the result of 
final judgments or settlements if— 
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‘‘(i) prior to the date of enactment of 
this paragraph, the signatory operator (or 
any related person to the operator)— 
‘‘(I) had all of its beneficiary as-
signments made under section 9706 of 
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 
voided by the Commissioner of the So-
cial Security Administration; and 
‘‘(II) was subject to a final judg-
ment or final settlement of litigation 
adverse to a claim by the operator 
that the assignment of beneficiaries 
under section 9706 of the Internal 
Revenue Code of 1986 was unconsti-
tutional as applied to the operator; 
and 
‘‘(ii) on or before September 7, 2000, 
the signatory operator (or any related per-
son to the operator) had paid to the Com-
bined Fund any premium amount that had 
not been refunded. 
‘‘(2) PAYMENTS
TO
STATES
AND
INDIAN 
TRIBES.—Subject to paragraph (3), out of any funds 
in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, the Sec-
retary of the Treasury shall transfer to the Sec-
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227 
retary of the Interior for distribution to States and 
Indian tribes such sums as are necessary to pay 
amounts described in paragraphs (1)(A) and (2)(A) 
of section 411(h). 
‘‘(3) LIMITATIONS.— 
‘‘(A) CAP.—The total amount transferred 
under this subsection for any fiscal year shall 
not exceed $490,000,000. 
‘‘(B) INSUFFICIENT AMOUNTS.—In a case 
in which the amount required to be transferred 
without regard to this paragraph exceeds the 
maximum annual limitation in subparagraph 
(A), the Secretary shall adjust the transfers of 
funds so that— 
‘‘(i) each transfer for the fiscal year is 
a percentage of the amount described; 
‘‘(ii) the amount is determined with-
out regard to subsection (h)(5)(A); and 
‘‘(iii) the percentage transferred is the 
same for all transfers made under this sub-
section for the fiscal year. 
‘‘(4) AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.—Funds shall be 
transferred under paragraph (1) and (2) beginning 
in fiscal year 2008 and each fiscal year thereafter, 
and shall remain available until expended.’’. 
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228 
SEC. 203. OBJECTIVES OF FUND. 
Section 403 of the Surface Mining Control and Rec-
lamation Act of 1977 (30 U.S.C. 1233) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) in paragraph (1)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘(1) the protection’’ 
and inserting the following: 
‘‘(1)(A) the protection;’’; 
(ii) in subparagraph (A) (as des-
ignated by clause (i)), by striking ‘‘general 
welfare,’’; and 
(iii) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(B) the restoration of land and water re-
sources and the environment that— 
‘‘(i) have been degraded by the adverse ef-
fects of coal mining practices; and 
‘‘(ii) are adjacent to a site that has been 
or will be remediated under subparagraph 
(A);’’; 
(B) in paragraph (2)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘(2) the protection’’ 
and inserting the following: 
‘‘(2)(A) the protection’’; 
(ii) in subparagraph (A) (as des-
ignated by clause (i), by striking ‘‘health, 
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229 
safety, and general welfare’’ and inserting 
‘‘health and safety’’; and 
(iii) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(B) the restoration of land and water re-
sources and the environment that— 
‘‘(i) have been degraded by the adverse ef-
fects of coal mining practices; and 
‘‘(ii) are adjacent to a site that has been 
or will be remediated under subparagraph (A); 
and’’; 
(C) in paragraph (3), by striking the semi-
colon at the end and inserting a period; and 
(D) by striking paragraphs (4) and (5); 
(2) in subsection (b)— 
(A) by striking the subsection heading and 
inserting ‘‘WATER SUPPLY RESTORATION.—’’; 
and 
(B) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘up to 
30 percent of the’’; and 
(3) in the second sentence of subsection (c), by 
inserting ‘‘, subject to the approval of the Sec-
retary,’’ after ‘‘amendments’’. 
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230 
SEC. 204. RECLAMATION OF RURAL LAND. 
(a) ADMINISTRATION.—Section 406(h) of the Sur-
face Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (30 
U.S.C. 1236(h)) is amended by striking ‘‘Soil Conserva-
tion Service’’ and inserting ‘‘Natural Resources Conserva-
tion Service’’. 
(b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR CAR-
RYING OUT RURAL LAND RECLAMATION.—Section 406 of 
the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 
(30 U.S.C. 1236) is amended by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘(i) There are authorized to be appropriated to the 
Secretary of Agriculture, from amounts in the Treasury 
other than amounts in the fund, such sums as may be 
necessary to carry out this section.’’. 
SEC. 205. LIENS. 
Section 408(a) of the Surface Mining Control and 
Reclamation Act of 1977 (30 U.S.C. 1238) is amended 
in the last sentence by striking ‘‘who owned the surface 
prior to May 2, 1977, and’’. 
SEC. 206. CERTIFICATION. 
Section 411 of the Surface Mining Control and Rec-
lamation Act of 1977 (30 U.S.C. 1240a) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) by inserting ‘‘(1)’’ before the first sen-
tence; and 
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231 
(B) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(2)(A) The Secretary may, on the initiative of the 
Secretary, make the certification referred to in paragraph 
(1) on behalf of any State or Indian tribe referred to in 
paragraph (1) if on the basis of the inventory referred to 
in section 403(c) all reclamation projects relating to the 
priorities described in section 403(a) for eligible land and 
water pursuant to section 404 in the State or tribe have 
been completed. 
‘‘(B) The Secretary shall only make the certification 
after notice in the Federal Register and opportunity for 
public comment.’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(h) PAYMENTS TO STATES AND INDIAN TRIBES.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.— 
‘‘(A) PAYMENTS.— 
‘‘(i) IN
GENERAL.—Notwithstanding 
section 401(f)(3)(B), from funds referred 
to in section 402(i)(2), the Secretary shall 
make payments to States or Indian tribes 
for the amount due for the aggregate un-
appropriated amount allocated to the State 
or Indian tribe under subparagraph (A) or 
(B) of section 402(g)(1). 
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