COAL Act

Bill: 118-hr-1457
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Hageman, Harriet M. [R-WY-At Large]
Introduced: 2023-03-08
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Coal

Environmental assessment, monitoring, research

Licensing and registrations

Mining
Latest action: action_date: 2023-03-22
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources.

Summaries:
action_date: 2023-03-08
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>Combating Obstruction Against Leasing Act or the COAL Act</strong></p> <p>This bill requires the Department of the Interior to take specified actions with respect to qualified coal leasing applications.</p> <p>Specifically, Interior must, with respect to</p> <ul> <li> each qualified application, promptly publish a draft environmental assessment and any applicable implementing regulations, finalize the fair market value of the coal tract for which a lease by application is pending, take all intermediate actions necessary to grant the application, and grant the application; and </li> <li>previously awarded coal leases, grant any additional approvals of Interior, or any bureau, agency, or division of Interior, required for mining activities to commence.</li> </ul> <p>The bill provides that, notwithstanding any judicial decision to the contrary or a departmental review of the federal coal leasing program, Secretarial Order 3338 (which directs the Bureau of Land Management to analyze and consider potential leasing and management reforms to the program), issued by Interior on January 15, 2016, shall have no force or effect.</p>

tv_txt: I 118th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 1457 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES March 8, 2023 Ms. Hageman introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources A BILL To require the Secretary of the Interior to take certain actions with respect to certain qualified coal applications, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Combating Obstruction Against Leasing Act or the COAL Act . 2. Leasing for certain qualified coal applications (a) Definitions In this section: (1) Coal lease The term coal lease means a lease entered into by the United States as lessor, through the Bureau of Land Management, and the applicant on Bureau of Land Management Form 3400–012. (2) Qualified application The term qualified application means any application pending under the lease by application program administered by the Bureau of Land Management pursuant to the Mineral Leasing Act ( 30 U.S.C. 181 et seq. ) and subpart 3425 of title 43, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on the date of the enactment of this Act), for which the environmental review process under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 ( 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq. ) has commenced. (b) Mandatory leasing and other required approvals As soon as practicable after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall promptly— (1) with respect to each qualified application— (A) if not previously published for public comment, publish a draft environmental assessment, as required under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 ( 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq. ) and any applicable implementing regulations; (B) finalize the fair market value of the coal tract for which a lease by application is pending; (C) take all intermediate actions necessary to grant the qualified application; and (D) grant the qualified application; and (2) with respect to previously awarded coal leases, grant any additional approvals of the Department of the Interior or any bureau, agency, or division of the Department of the Interior required for mining activities to commence. 3. Future coal leasing Notwithstanding any judicial decision to the contrary or a departmental review of the Federal coal leasing program, Secretarial Order 3338, issued by the Secretary of the Interior on January 15, 2016, shall have no force or effect.