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 ‘‘Revitalizing the Econ-
omy of Coal communities by Leveraging local Activities and 
Investing More Act of 2021’’ or the ‘‘RECLAIM Act of 
2021’’. 
SEC. 2. ECONOMIC REVITALIZATION FOR COAL COUNTRY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Title IV of the Surface Mining 
Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (30 U.S.C. 1231 et 
seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘SEC. 416. ABANDONED MINE LAND ECONOMIC REVITALIZA-
TION. 
‘‘(a) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this section is to pro-
mote economic revitalization, diversification, and develop-
ment in economically distressed mining communities 
through the reclamation and restoration of land and water 
resources adversely affected by coal mining carried out be-
fore August 3, 1977. 
‘‘(b) IN GENERAL.—From amounts deposited into the 
fund under section 401(b) before October 1, 2007, and not 
otherwise appropriated to the extent such funds are avail-
able, $200,000,000 shall be made available to the Secretary, 
without further appropriation, for each of fiscal years 2022 
through 2026 for distribution to States and Indian tribes 
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in accordance with this section for reclamation and restora-
tion projects at sites identified as priorities under section 
403(a): Provided, That if less than $200,000,000 is avail-
able in any fiscal year to the Secretary, such remaining 
amount shall be made available to the Secretary, without 
further appropriation, and such fiscal year shall end dis-
tributions made available under this section. 
‘‘(c) USE OF FUNDS.—Funds distributed to a State 
or Indian tribe under subsection (d) shall be used only for 
projects classified under the priorities of section 403(a) that 
meet the following criteria: 
‘‘(1) CONTRIBUTION TO FUTURE ECONOMIC OR 
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The project, upon com-
pletion of reclamation, is intended to create fa-
vorable conditions for the economic development 
of the project site or create favorable conditions 
that promote the general welfare through eco-
nomic and community development of the area 
in which the project is conducted. 
‘‘(B) DEMONSTRATION
OF
CONDITIONS.— 
Such conditions are demonstrated by— 
‘‘(i) documentation of the role of the 
project in such area’s economic development 
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strategy or other economic and community 
development planning process; 
‘‘(ii) any other documentation of the 
planned economic and community use of the 
project site after the primary reclamation 
activities are completed, which may include 
contracts, agreements in principle, or other 
evidence that, once reclaimed, the site is 
reasonably anticipated to be used for one or 
more industrial, commercial, residential, 
agricultural, or recreational purposes; or 
‘‘(iii) any other documentation agreed 
to by the State or Indian tribe that dem-
onstrates the project will meet the criteria 
set forth in this subsection. 
‘‘(2) LOCATION IN ECONOMICALLY DISTRESSED 
COMMUNITY AFFECTED BY RECENT DECLINE IN MIN-
ING.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The project will be con-
ducted in a community— 
‘‘(i) that has been adversely affected 
economically by a recent reduction in coal 
mining related activity, as demonstrated by 
employment data, per capita income, or 
other indicators of economic distress; or 
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‘‘(ii)(I) that has historically relied on 
coal mining for a substantial portion of its 
economy; and 
‘‘(II) in which the economic contribu-
tion of coal mining has significantly de-
clined. 
‘‘(B) SUBMISSION
AND
PUBLICATION
OF 
EVIDENCE OR ANALYSIS.—Any evidence or anal-
ysis relied upon in selecting the location of a 
project under this subparagraph shall be sub-
mitted to the Secretary for publication. The Sec-
retary shall publish such evidence or analysis in 
the Federal Register within 30 days after receiv-
ing such submission. 
‘‘(3) STAKEHOLDER COLLABORATION.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The project has been 
the subject of project planning under subsection 
(g) and has been the focus of collaboration, in-
cluding partnerships, as appropriate, with inter-
ested persons or local organizations. 
‘‘(B) PUBLIC NOTICE.—As part of project 
planning the public has been notified of the 
project, including not less than 45 days before 
submission of the project to the Office of Surface 
Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, the State 
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or Indian Tribe has published notice of the pro-
posed project in local newspapers of general cir-
culation, on the Internet, and by any other 
means considered desirable by the Secretary, and 
has provided an opportunity to request a public 
meeting convened in a community near the pro-
posed project site. 
‘‘(C) 
ELECTRONIC
NOTIFICATION.—The 
State or Indian tribe established a way for inter-
ested persons to receive electronically all public 
notices issued under subparagraph (B) and any 
written declarations submitted to the Secretary 
under paragraph (5). 
‘‘(4) ELIGIBLE
APPLICANTS.—The project has 
been proposed by entities of State, local, county, or 
tribal governments, or local organizations, and will be 
approved and executed by State or tribal programs, 
approved under section 405 or referred to in section 
402(g)(8)(B) which may include subcontracting 
project-related activities, as appropriate. 
‘‘(5) WAIVER.—If the State or Indian tribe— 
‘‘(A) cannot provide documentation de-
scribed in paragraph (1)(B) for a project con-
ducted under a priority stated in paragraph (1) 
or (2) of section 403(a), or 
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