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H.R. 1731: RECLAIM Act of 2017

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H.R. 1731: RECLAIM Act of 2017

115th Congress · introduced 2017-03-27 · Environmental Protection · Latest: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 255.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2017-03-27 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Rep. Rogers, Harold [R-KY-5] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 255. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. 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

RECLAIM Act of 2017

Plain summary

Revitalizing the Economy of Coal Communities by Leveraging Local Activities and Investing More Act of 2017 or the RECLAIM Act of 201 7 This bill amends the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA)to make specified funds available to the Department of the Interior through FY2021 for distribution to states and Indian tribes to promote economic revitalization, diversification, and development in economically distressed communities through the reclamation and restoration of land and water resources adversely affected by coal mining carried out before August 3, 1977. The bill prescribes general requirements for projects to reclaim abandoned mine lands and waters that are likely to create favorable conditions for the economic development of the project site or promote the general welfare through economic and community development of the area in which the project is conducted. Any such project shall be located in a community affected by a recent decline in mining. A state or Indian tribe that receives funds under this bill may retain a portion of them as necessary to supplement its acid mine drainage abatement and treatment fund for future operation and maintenance costs for the treatment of acid mine drainage associated with individual projects. The bill increases the minimum amount of funds that Interior must provide annually to states and Indian tribes for reclamation and restoration projects. The Government Accountability Office must conduct a study on the use of funds authorized by this bill. The Appalachian Regional Commission may provide grants to individuals or entities in the Appalachian region for projects that have been or that are eligible to be reclaimed or restored under SMCRA.The commission must relocate its headquarters from Washington, DC to the Appalachian region.

Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to House amended, Part I), 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

RECLAIM Act of 2017

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to House amended, Part I)

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The strongest published arguments

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Alternatives

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Rogers, Harold [R-KY-5] · 40 cosponsors

Cost estimate: CBO cost estimate: H.R. 1731, RECLAIM Act of 2017 (2017-10-06)

Cosponsors on this site

H. Morgan Griffith (R-VA), Glenn Thompson (R-PA), Charles J. "Chuck" Fleischmann (R-TN), Darin LaHood (R-IL), Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen (R-AS), Mike Kelly (R-PA), Donald S. Beyer, Jr. (D-VA), Brett Guthrie (R-KY), Terri A. Sewell (D-AL), Jared Huffman (D-CA), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Brendan F. Boyle (D-PA), Bill Foster (D-IL)

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Rogers, Harold [R-KY-5] reported raising $1.0 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)
Authorization
A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.
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).

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong115-hr1731 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong115 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong115