A bill to amend the Mineral Leasing Act to increase the royalty rate for coal produced from surface mines on Federal land, to prohibit the export of coal produced on Federal land, and for other purposes.

Bill: 114-s-2339
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA]
Introduced: 2015-12-01
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures

Coal

Congressional oversight

Energy revenues and royalties

Mining

Trade restrictions
Latest action: action_date: 2015-12-01
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Summaries:
action_date: 2015-12-01
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p>This bill amends the the Mineral Leasing Act (MLA) to direct the Department of the Interior to require that coal lease royalty payments from a new or renewed coal lease on federal land be at least 50% of the value of coal. </p> <p>The Energy Policy and Conservation Act is amended to direct the President to promulgate a rule prohibiting the export of coal produced in the U.S. on federal land.</p> <p>Interior shall not conduct a new lease sale, or enter into a new lease, for coal subject to the MLA until it certifies to Congress that this Act and its amendments have been implemented. </p>

tv_txt: II 114th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 2339 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES December 1, 2015 Mr. Markey (for himself, Mr. Blumenthal , and Mr. Whitehouse ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources A BILL To amend the Mineral Leasing Act to increase the royalty rate for coal produced from surface mines on Federal land, to prohibit the export of coal produced on Federal land, and for other purposes.

1. Royalty rate for coal leases (a) In general Section 7(a) of the Mineral Leasing Act ( 30 U.S.C. 207(a) ) is amended in the fourth sentence by striking not less than and all that follows through of the value of coal and inserting not less than 50 percent of the value of coal . (b) Effect of amendment The amendment made by subsection (a) shall apply to any coal lease entered into or renewed under the Mineral Leasing Act ( 30 U.S.C. 181 et seq. ) on or after the date of enactment of this Act. 2. Prohibition on export of coal produced on Federal land Section 103(b) of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act ( 42 U.S.C. 6212(b) ) is amended by adding at the end the following: (3) Prohibition on export of coal produced on Federal land Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this paragraph, the President shall exercise the authority provided for in subsection (a) to promulgate a rule prohibiting the export of coal produced in the United States on Federal land. . 3. Moratorium on new coal lease sales pending implementation Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary of the Interior shall not conduct a new lease sale, or enter into a new lease, for coal subject to the Mineral Leasing Act ( 30 U.S.C. 181 et seq. ) until the Secretary certifies to Congress that this Act and the amendments made by this Act have been implemented.