S. 2339: 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.

S. 2339: 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.

114th Congress · introduced 2015-12-01 · Energy · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2015-12-01 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

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.

Plain summary

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. 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. 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.

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

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

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.

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA] · 2 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA] reported raising $6.0 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

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.

Words on this page, explained (2)

Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Rulemaking: The process agencies use to write regulations that carry out laws passed by Congress or a legislature. Usually an agency publishes a proposed rule, takes public comments, then publishes a final rule.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-114s2339.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/114/s>

Record fed-us-cong114-s2339 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong114 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong114