SEC. 305. ENFORCEMENT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—A permitting authority may en-
force any violation of this title, with respect to which the 
permitting authority has jurisdiction, by— 
(1) issuing an order to comply with the violated 
provision; or 
(2) commencing a civil action for appropriate 
relief, including a permanent or temporary injunc-
tion. 
(b) MINIMUM REQUIREMENT.—In the event of a per-
mit violation, and absent extraordinary circumstances, the 
court shall, at a minimum, require the person to repair, 
to the extent practicable, the damage to any part of the en-
vironment caused by an action of the person in violation 
of the permit. 
(c) CIVIL PENALTY.—Any person who violates this 
title shall be subject to a civil penalty of up to $5,000 for 
each day of the violation (except in cases of knowing con-
duct, in which case the civil penalty shall be $32,500 for 
each day of the violation). 
SEC. 306. GRANTS ELIGIBILITY. 
A project authorized by a permit issued under this title 
is eligible for funding pursuant to section 319 of the Federal 
Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1329). 
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SEC. 307. CONSTRUCTION OF THE NATIONAL ENVIRON-
MENTAL POLICY ACT OF 1969. 
No action of the Administrator taken pursuant to this 
title shall be required to comply with section 102 of the Na-
tional Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332). 
SEC. 308. USE OF PROJECTS TO MEET OFFSITE MITIGATION 
REQUIREMENTS. 
A project authorized by a permit issued under this title 
shall be considered to satisfy all or part of any offsite miti-
gation requirement of the permittee, upon approval by the 
authority imposing the offsite mitigation requirement. 
SEC. 309. STATE AND TRIBAL RECLAMATION PLANS UNDER 
THE SURFACE MINING CONTROL AND REC-
LAMATION ACT OF 1977. 
No State or Indian tribe conducting remediation of an 
inactive or abandoned mine site pursuant to an approved 
State or tribal abandoned mine reclamation plan approved 
under title IV of the Surface Mining Control and Reclama-
tion Act of 1977 (30 U.S.C. 1231 et seq.) shall, with respect 
to the remediation activities, be required to obtain a permit 
under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 
1251 et seq.). 
SEC. 310. SAVINGS PROVISIONS. 
(a) EMERGENCY AUTHORITY.—Nothing in this title af-
fects the authority of a Federal, State, tribal, or local agen-
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cy to carry out any emergency authority, including an 
emergency authority under environmental laws. 
(b) LIABILITY UNDER OTHER LAWS.—Except as pro-
vided in section 303(g), nothing in this title or a permit 
issued under this title limits the liability of any person 
under any other provision of law. 
SEC. 311. SUNSET. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—No permitting authority may issue 
a permit under this title after the date that is 7 years after 
the date of enactment of this title. 
(b) STUDY; REPORT.— 
(1) STUDY.—Not earlier than 5 years after the 
date of enactment of this title, the Administrator, the 
Secretary of the Interior, and the Secretary of Agri-
culture, in consultation with the Interstate Mining 
Compact Commission, shall enter into an arrange-
ment with the National Academy of Sciences, for exe-
cution by the Board on Earth Sciences and Resources, 
to conduct a detailed, comprehensive study of the ef-
fectiveness of the permitting activities carried out 
under this title. 
(2) REPORT.—Not later than 7 years after the 
date of enactment of this title, the Board on Earth 
Sciences and Resources shall submit to Congress, the 
appropriate Federal agencies, and the Governors of 
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each of the States represented by the Interstate Min-
ing Compact Commission a report containing— 
(A) the results of the study conducted under 
paragraph (1); and 
(B) any recommendations regarding wheth-
er the permitting activities carried out under 
this title should be reauthorized and, if so, any 
changes that should be made to improve the effec-
tiveness of the activities. 
(3) FUNDING.—From the funds collected as 
claim location fees and maintenance fees under sec-
tion 102, the Secretary of the Interior shall provide 
to the National Academy of Sciences such funds as it 
requests, not to exceed $2,000,000, for the purpose of 
conducting the study required under this section. 
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Union Calendar No. 556 
114TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 3843 
[Report No. 114–717, Part I] 
A BILL 
To authorize for a 7-year period the collection of 
claim location and maintenance fees, and for 
other purposes. 
SEPTEMBER 6, 2016 
Reported from the Committee on Natural Resources with 
an amendment 
SEPTEMBER 6, 2016 
The Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure 
and Energy and Commerce discharged; committed to 
the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the 
Union and ordered to be printed 
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