S. 796: Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act of 2009

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S. 796: Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act of 2009

111th Congress · introduced 2009-04-02 · Public Lands and Natural Resources · Latest: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 111-116.

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Official title

Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act of 2009

Plain summary

Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act of 2009 - Prohibits the issuance of a federal patent for any mining claim, millsite, or tunnel site (claim or site) unless the Secretary of the Interior determines that: (1) a patent application was filed by September 30, 1994; and (2) all application requirements were fully complied with by such date. Prescribes a mandatory claim maintenance fee and location fee for each claim or site. States that failure to perform assessment work, pay a mandatory maintenance or location fee, or file timely notice of location shall: (1) conclusively constitute forfeiture; and (2) make the claim or site null and void. Subjects production of locatable minerals from any mining claim to a royalty of between 2 % and 5% of the value of the production, not including reasonable transportation, beneficiation, and processing costs. Authorizes the Secretary to grant royalty relief. Directs the Secretary to establish a comprehensive inspection, collection, fiscal, and production accounting and auditing system to: (1) determine accurately any royalties, interest, fines, penalties, fees, deposits, and other payments owed; and (2) collect and account for such payments in a timely manner. Requires a permit to engage in the following activities on federal land: (1) mineral activities that would disturb surface resources, including land, air, water, and fish and wildlife; and (2) exploration and mineral activities that involve more than casual use of the land. Prescribes requirements for mining permits. Requires an operator to give the Secretary specified financial assurances before beginning any mineral activities requiring an exploration or mining permit in order to ensure reclamation and restoration of any land or water adversely affected by the activities. Establishes the Hardrock Minerals Reclamation Fund for the reclamation and restoration of land and water resources adversely affected by past hardrock minerals and mining and related activities in abandoned hardrock mine states, and on Indian land located within the exterior boundaries of abandoned hardrock mine states. Subjects each operator of a hardrock minerals mining operation to an abandoned mine land reclamation fee.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

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Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Bingaman, Jeff [D-NM] · 6 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Ron Wyden (D-OR), Michael F. Bennet (D-CO), Jeff Merkley (D-OR)

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Sources

• Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
• Congress.gov
• Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-111s796.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/111/s>

Record fed-us-cong111-s796 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong111 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong111