IB 
Union Calendar No. 705 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 2685 
[Report No. 118–864] 
To require the Secretary of Energy to provide technology grants to strengthen 
domestic mining education, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 18, 2023 
Mr. OWENS (for himself, Mr. COSTA, Mr. NEWHOUSE, Mr. BOST, Mr. 
STAUBER, Mr. ROSENDALE, and Mr. WITTMAN) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 
DECEMBER 12, 2024 
Additional sponsors: Mr. ZINKE, Mr. STEWART, Mr. CURTIS, Mr. SWALWELL, 
Mr. JOHNSON of South Dakota, Mr. FLEISCHMANN, Mrs. MILLER of 
West Virginia, Mr. GALLEGO, Mr. RESCHENTHALER, Mr. NEHLS, Mr. 
THOMPSON of Pennsylvania, Ms. HAGEMAN, Ms. MALOY, Mr. MEUSER, 
Mr. CISCOMANI, Ms. PETTERSEN, Ms. CARAVEO, and Mr. AMODEI 
DECEMBER 12, 2024 
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on April 18, 2023] 
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A BILL 
To require the Secretary of Energy to provide technology 
grants to strengthen domestic mining education, and for 
other purposes. 
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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 2024’’ or the 
‘‘Mining Schools Act of 2024’’. 
SEC. 2. TECHNOLOGY GRANTS TO STRENGTHEN DOMESTIC 
MINING EDUCATION. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) BOARD.—The term ‘‘Board’’ means the Min-
ing Professional Development Advisory Board estab-
lished by subsection (d)(1). 
(2) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The 
term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the mean-
ing given the term in section 101 of the Higher Edu-
cation 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, reprocess-
ing, 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— 
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(A) the exploration, planning, execution, 
and remediation of metal and nonmetal mining 
sites; and 
(B) the extraction, including the separation, 
refining, alloying, smelting, concentration, proc-
essing, reprocessing, and recycling of mineral 
ores. 
(5) MINING SCHOOL.—The term ‘‘mining school’’ 
means— 
(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 de-
partment that is located at a 4-year public insti-
tution 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 combined cat-
egories of ‘‘Mining (except oil and gas)’’ and 
‘‘Support activities for mining’’, according to the 
Bureau of Economic Analysis. 
(6) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Energy. 
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(7) TRIBAL COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY.—The term 
‘‘Tribal College or University’’ has the meaning given 
the term in section 316(b) of the Higher Education 
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— 
(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 quali-
fied professionals to meet the future energy and min-
eral needs of the United States. 
(c) GRANTS.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—In carrying out the grant 
program established under subsection (b)(1), the Sec-
retary shall award not more than 10 grants each year 
to mining schools. 
(2) SELECTION REQUIREMENTS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—To the maximum extent 
practicable, the Secretary shall select recipients 
for grants under paragraph (1) to ensure geo-
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graphic diversity among grant recipients to en-
sure 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 
(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 determining 
the amount of each grant, the Secretary, to the 
maximum extent practicable, shall take into con-
sideration 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— 
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(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 rationale 
for any rejection, in whole or in part, 
of the recommendation of the Board; 
and 
(ii) not later than 15 days after 
awarding a grant for which the Board sub-
mitted a recommendation, publish the state-
ment submitted under clause (i) on the De-
partment 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; 
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(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 rec-
lamation that fosters the recovery of re-
sources at abandoned mine sites; 
(v) mineral extraction, refining, proc-
essing, reprocessing, and recycling methods 
that reduce environmental and human im-
pacts; 
(vi) technologies to extract, refine, sep-
arate, melt, produce, or recycle minerals, 
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 
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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 resources 
adversely affected by mining; 
(xi) enhancing exploration and charac-
terization of new or novel deposits, includ-
ing rare earth elements and critical min-
erals within phosphate rocks, uranium-bear-
ing 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 
practices that reduce water usage, mitigate 
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surface disturbance, and promote overall re-
source efficiency. 
(d) MINING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY 
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 composed 
of 6 members, to be appointed by the Secretary not 
later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this 
Act, of whom— 
(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 im-
plementing 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 recommendations 
to the Secretary for selection of grant recipients 
under that subsection; 
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(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 
(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. 
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Union Calendar No. 705 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 2685 
[Report No. 118–864] 
A BILL 
To require the Secretary of Energy to provide tech-
nology grants to strengthen domestic mining edu-
cation, and for other purposes. 
DECEMBER 12, 2024 
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Com-
mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 
and ordered to be printed 
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