H.R. 3872

To amend the Mineral Leasing Act for Acquired Lands to make that Act applicable to hardrock minerals.

Sponsor: Pat Fallon · 2 cosponsors

Follow this bill

Official summary

Written by the Congressional Research Service.

This bill specifies that all federally acquired lands are eligible to be considered for hardrock mineral leasing under the Mineral Leasing Act for Acquired Lands (MLAAL). The bill defines the term hardrock mineral to (1) include deposits of minerals found in sedimentary or other rocks, base metals, precious metals, industrial minerals, and precious and semi-precious gemstones; and (2) exclude deposits of coal, oil, oil shale, gas, sodium, potassium, sulfur, or mineral materials subject to disposition under the Materials Act of 1947.

By way of background, hardrock minerals are not currently listed under the MLAAL as deposits subject to a lease, while mineral resources such as coal, phosphate, oil, gas, gilsonite, and sulfur are listed. As a result, federal lands may be leased for mining hardrock minerals only if the federal lands were acquired under a statute, such as the Weeks Act, that specifically authorizes the land to be used for hardrock mineral leasing.

Text of the bill

Expand all
Sec. 1. Application of Mineral Leasing Act for Acquired Lands to hardrock minerals Changed · Oct 31

Where this section came from

  1. Jun 10, 2025 · Introduced in House Referred to House Committee on Natural Resources, Jun 10
  2. Oct 31, 2025 · Reported in House Marked up by House Committee on Natural Resources, Sep 17 Reported by House Committee on Natural Resources, Oct 31 Committee members' individual votes aren't in our records.
What changed in the text

… 12 unchanged passages …

(C) by striking 552). “ Secretary and inserting the following:

… 27 unchanged passages …

(iv) industrial metals minerals ; and

… 13 unchanged passages …

What is a markup?

A markup is a committee meeting where members go through a bill and vote on changes before sending it to the full chamber.

The Mineral Leasing Act for Acquired Lands (30 U.S.C. 351 et seq.) is amended—

(1) in section 2 (30 U.S.C. 351)—

(A) by striking Act United States and inserting the following:

Text this section adds to the law

Act:

(1) United States. The term United States

(B) by striking Alaska. Acquired lands and inserting the following:

Text this section adds to the law

Alaska.

(2) Acquired lands; lands acquired by the United States. The term acquired lands

(C) by striking 552). Secretary and inserting the following:

Text this section adds to the law

552).

(3) Secretary. The term Secretary

(D) by striking Interior. Mineral leasing laws shall mean and inserting the following:

Text this section adds to the law

Interior.

(4) Mineral leasing laws. The term mineral leasing laws means

(E) by striking Acts. Lease and inserting the following:

Text this section adds to the law

Acts.

(5) Lease. The term lease

(F) by striking requires. The term and inserting the following:

Text this section adds to the law

requires.

(6) Oil. The term

; and

(G) by adding at the end the following:

Text this section adds to the law

(7) Hardrock mineral. The term hardrock mineral—

(A) includes deposits of—

(i) minerals found in sedimentary or other rocks;

(ii) base metals;

(iii) precious metals;

(iv) industrial minerals; and

(v) precious and semi-precious gemstones; and

(B) does not include deposits of—

(i) coal;

(ii) oil;

(iii) oil shale;

(iv) gas;

(v) sodium;

(vi) potassium;

(vii) sulfur; or

(viii) mineral materials subject to disposition under the Act of July 31, 1947, commonly known as the Materials Act of 1947 (30 U.S.C. 601 et seq.).

; and

(2) in section 3 (30 U.S.C. 352), by striking and sulfur and inserting sulfur, and hardrock minerals.