Abandoned Mine Reclamation Program Extension and Reform Act of 2004

Bill: 108-s-2049
Sponsor: Sen. Specter, Arlen [R-PA]
Introduced: 2004-02-03 in the Senate
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Agriculture and Food
Auditing
Authorization
Bankruptcy
Black lung
Coal
Collection of accounts
Commerce
Department of Agriculture
Department of the Interior
Economics and Public Finance
Employee health benefits
Energy
Environmental Protection
Environmental law enforcement
Excise tax
Federal aid to Indians
Federal aid to water pollution control
Fees
Finance and Financial Sector
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Government trust funds
Grants-in-aid
Health
Indian lands
Interest
Intergovernmental fiscal relations
Labor and Employment
Law
Licenses
Mine wastes
Mine water
Miners
Minorities
Native Americans
Rebates
Reclamation of land
Refuse and refuse disposal
Retiree health benefits
Small business
Soil conservation
State finance
State laws
Strip mining
Surety and fidelity
Tax auditing
Taxation
Water pollution control

Summary:
action_date: 2004-02-03
text: 
Abandoned Mine Reclamation Program Extension and Reform Act of 2004 - Amends the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 with respect to the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund, particularly funds allocated to States and Indian tribes but not appropriated to them.
 
Sets forth a reallocation scheme for unappropriated balances with respect to: (1) the rural abandoned mine reclamation program; (2) the Federal share; and (3) historic production supplemental grants to States and Indian tribes.
 
Directs the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) to transfer from the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund to the United Mine Workers of America Combined Benefit Fund (Combined Fund) an amount equal to specified expenditures that the Combined Fund trustees estimate will be debited against a certain unassigned beneficiaries premium account.
 
Creates a schedule for the payment of reclamation fees for FY 2004 through 2018 by operators of coal mining operations.
 
Sets forth guidelines governing: (1) allocation of fee receipts and other monies prior to September 30, 2004; and (2) allocation of funds to States and Indian Tribes after September 30, 2004.
 
States that surface coal mining operations on lands eligible for remining shall not affect the eligibility of such lands for reclamation and restoration after the release of the bond or deposit for any such operation.
 
Revises requirements for the granting of Federal funds to implement an approved State reclamation program.
 
Authorizes regulations requiring State assumption of responsibility for administering the emergency reclamation program in order to retain eligibility for Federal grants.
 
Revises requirements for State or Indian tribe certification of the completion of coal reclamation.
 
Authorizes the Secretary to adopt regulations to promote remining of eligible lands to leverage use of monies available from the fund to achieve more land reclamation.
 



Legislative actions:
action_date: 2004-03-11
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 108-533.
action_date: 2004-02-03
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. (text of measure as introduced: CR S542-545)
action_date: 2004-02-03
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S541-542)
action_date: 2004-02-03
text: Introduced in Senate