I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2457 
To require the Secretary of Energy to provide technology grants to strengthen 
domestic mining education, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 27, 2025 
Mr. OWENS (for himself, Mr. COSTA, Ms. MALOY, Ms. PETTERSEN, and Mr. 
MOORE of Utah) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Natural Resources 
A BILL 
To require the Secretary of Energy to provide technology 
grants to strengthen domestic mining education, 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 ‘‘Technology Grants to 
Strengthen Domestic Mining Education Act of 2025’’ or 
the ‘‘Mining Schools Act of 2025’’. 
SEC. 2. TECHNOLOGY GRANTS TO STRENGTHEN DOMESTIC 
MINING EDUCATION. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
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(1) BOARD.—The term ‘‘Board’’ means the 
Mining Professional Development Advisory Board 
established by subsection (d)(1). 
(2) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The 
term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the 
meaning given the term in section 101 of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001). 
(3) MINING INDUSTRY.—The term ‘‘mining in-
dustry’’ means the mining industry of the United 
States, consisting of the search for, and extraction, 
beneficiation, refining, smelting, processing, reproc-
essing, and recycling of, naturally occurring metal 
and nonmetal minerals from the earth. 
(4) MINING PROFESSION.—The term ‘‘mining 
profession’’ means the body of jobs directly relevant 
to— 
(A) the exploration, planning, execution, 
and remediation of metal and nonmetal mining 
sites; and 
(B) the extraction, including the separa-
tion, refining, alloying, smelting, concentration, 
processing, reprocessing, and recycling of min-
eral ores. 
(5) MINING
SCHOOL.—The term ‘‘mining 
school’’ means— 
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(A) a mining, metallurgical, geological, or 
mineral engineering program accredited by the 
Accreditation Board for Engineering and Tech-
nology, Inc., that is located at an institution of 
higher education, including a Tribal College or 
University; or 
(B) a geology or engineering program or 
department that is located at a 4-year public in-
stitution of higher education located in a State 
the gross domestic product of which in 2021 
was not less than $2,000,000,000 in the com-
bined categories of ‘‘Mining (except oil and 
gas)’’ and ‘‘Support activities for mining’’, ac-
cording to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. 
(6) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Energy. 
(7) TRIBAL
COLLEGE
OR
UNIVERSITY.—The 
term ‘‘Tribal College or University’’ has the meaning 
given the term in section 316(b) of the Higher Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059c(b)). 
(b) DOMESTIC MINING EDUCATION STRENGTHENING 
PROGRAM.—The Secretary, in consultation with the Sec-
retary of the Interior (acting through the Director of the 
United States Geological Survey), shall— 
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(1) establish a grant program to strengthen do-
mestic mining education; and 
(2) under the program established under para-
graph (1), award competitive grants to mining 
schools for the purpose of recruiting and educating 
the next generation of mining engineers and other 
qualified professionals to meet the future energy and 
mineral needs of the United States. 
(c) GRANTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out the grant 
program established under subsection (b)(1), the 
Secretary shall award not more than 10 grants each 
year to mining schools. 
(2) SELECTION REQUIREMENTS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—To the maximum ex-
tent practicable, the Secretary shall select re-
cipients for grants under paragraph (1) to en-
sure geographic diversity among grant recipi-
ents to ensure that region-specific specialties 
are developed for region-specific geology. 
(B) 
TIMELINE.—The 
Secretary 
shall 
award the grants under paragraph (1) by not 
later than the later of— 
(i) the date that is 180 days after the 
start of the applicable fiscal year; and 
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(ii) the date that is 180 days after the 
date on which the Act making full-year ap-
propriations for the Department of Energy 
for the applicable fiscal year is enacted. 
(3) RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE BOARD.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—In selecting recipients 
for grants under paragraph (1) and deter-
mining the amount of each grant, the Sec-
retary, to the maximum extent practicable, shall 
take into consideration the recommendations of 
the Board under subparagraphs (A) and (B) of 
subsection (d)(3). 
(B) SELECTION STATEMENT.—In selecting 
recipients for grants under paragraph (1), the 
Secretary shall— 
(i) in response to a recommendation 
from the Board, submit to the Board a 
statement that describes— 
(I) whether the Secretary accepts 
or rejects, in whole or in part, the rec-
ommendation of the Board; and 
(II) the justification and ration-
ale for any rejection, in whole or in 
part, of the recommendation of the 
Board; and 
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(ii) not later than 15 days after 
awarding a grant for which the Board sub-
mitted a recommendation, publish the 
statement submitted under clause (i) on 
the Department of Energy website. 
(4) USE OF FUNDS.—A mining school receiving 
a grant under paragraph (1) shall use the grant 
funds— 
(A) to recruit students to the mining 
school; and 
(B) to enhance and support programs re-
lated to, as applicable— 
(i) mining, mineral extraction effi-
ciency, and related processing technology; 
(ii) emphasizing critical mineral and 
rare earth element exploration, extraction, 
and refining; 
(iii) reclamation technology and prac-
tices for active mining operations; 
(iv) the development of reprocessing 
systems and technologies that facilitate 
reclamation that fosters the recovery of re-
sources at abandoned mine sites; 
(v) mineral extraction, refining, proc-
essing, reprocessing, and recycling methods 
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that reduce environmental and human im-
pacts; 
(vi) technologies to extract, refine, 
separate, melt, produce, or recycle min-
erals, including rare earth elements; 
(vii) reducing dependence on foreign 
energy and mineral supplies through in-
creased domestic critical mineral produc-
tion and recycling; 
(viii) enhancing the competitiveness of 
United States energy and mineral tech-
nology exports; 
(ix) the extraction or processing of co-
inciding 
mineralization, 
including 
rare 
earth elements, within coal or other ores, 
coal or mineral processing byproduct, over-
burden, or residue from coal, minerals, or 
other ores; 
(x) enhancing technologies and prac-
tices relating to mitigation of acid mine 
drainage, reforestation, and revegetation in 
the reclamation of land and water re-
sources adversely affected by mining; 
(xi) enhancing exploration and charac-
terization of new or novel deposits, includ-
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ing rare earth elements and critical min-
erals within phosphate rocks, uranium- 
bearing deposits, and other nontraditional 
sources; 
(xii) meeting challenges of extreme 
mining conditions, such as deeper deposits 
or cold region mining; 
(xiii) mineral economics, including 
analysis of supply chains, future mineral 
needs, and unconventional mining re-
sources; and 
(xiv) mining practices that reduce en-
vironmental impact, including mining prac-
tices that reduce water usage, mitigate 
surface disturbance, and promote overall 
resource efficiency. 
(d) MINING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ADVI-
SORY BOARD.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—There is established an advi-
sory board, to be known as the ‘‘Mining Professional 
Development Advisory Board’’. 
(2) COMPOSITION.—The Board shall be com-
posed of 6 members, to be appointed by the Sec-
retary not later than 180 days after the date of en-
actment of this Act, of whom— 
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(A) 3 shall be individuals who are actively 
working in the mining profession and for the 
mining industry; and 
(B) 3 shall have experience in academia 
implementing and operating professional skills 
training and education programs in the mining 
sector. 
(3) DUTIES.—The Board shall— 
(A) evaluate grant applications received 
under subsection (c) and make recommenda-
tions to the Secretary for selection of grant re-
cipients under that subsection; 
(B) propose the amount of the grant for 
each applicant recommended to be selected 
under subparagraph (A); and 
(C) perform oversight to ensure that grant 
funds awarded under subsection (c) are used 
for the purposes described in paragraph (4) of 
that subsection. 
(4) TERM.—A member of the Board shall serve 
for a term of 4 years. 
(5) VACANCIES.—A vacancy on the Board— 
(A) shall not affect the powers of the 
Board; and 
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(B) shall be filled in the same manner as 
the original appointment was made by not later 
than 180 days after the date on which the va-
cancy occurs. 
SEC. 3. REPEAL OF THE MINING AND MINERAL RESOURCES 
RESEARCH INSTITUTE ACT OF 1984. 
Public Law 98–409 (30 U.S.C. 1221 et seq.) is re-
pealed. 
SEC. 4. NO ADDITIONAL FUNDS AUTHORIZED. 
No additional funds are authorized to carry out the 
requirements of this Act, and the activities authorized by 
this Act are subject to the availability of appropriations 
made in advance for such purposes. 
Æ 
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