Other
Mining Regulatory Clarity Act
This bill creates a dedicated federal fund to pay for cleaning up abandoned mineral mines across the country. It directs annual maintenance fees paid by mining companies for \"mill sites\"—public land used for processing ore and storing waste—directly into this account. The Department of the Interior can spend the money on cleanup and restoration projects without waiting for separate annual approvals from Congress.
People affected—not determinable from the text provided
Fiscal magnitude—CBO cost estimate published (S. 544, Mining Regulatory Clarity Act, 2026-06-08); dollar figure pending review extraction — see receipt
Reach30provisional · pending reviewrigor: heuristic llm
What this bill touches.
Spending vs. restraint+20Federal lands & resources+28Pollution & development+25
Who it helps · who it burdens.
Who it helps
- Department of the InteriorReceives mandatory spending authority from the newly created Abandoned Hardrock Mine Fund without needing further congressional appropriations to carry out abandoned hardrock mine reclamation projects.
- Communities near abandoned hardrock mine sitesBenefit from dedicated, non-appropriated federal funding directed toward cleaning up and remediating abandoned hardrock mine lands under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
Who backs it
- Mining mill site claim holdersClaim maintenance fees paid on certain mining mill sites are deposited into the Abandoned Hardrock Mine Fund to finance abandoned mine cleanup and restoration.
The provisions, in plain language.
Creates the Abandoned Hardrock Mine Fund in the U.S. Treasury to receive claim maintenance fees collected from certain mining mill sites.
Authorizes the Department of the Interior to spend money from the Abandoned Hardrock Mine Fund without further congressional approval to clean up and restore abandoned hardrock mine lands.