H.R. 3872 · Passed House · Energy

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

Sponsor: Pat Fallon (R-TX)

What it does

• Expands the Mineral Leasing Act for Acquired Lands to permit hardrock mineral leasing on all federally acquired lands, not just those acquired under statutes that explicitly authorize hardrock mining.
• Defines hardrock minerals to include base metals, precious metals, industrial minerals, and gemstones while excluding coal, oil, gas, sodium, potassium, sulfur, and materials covered by the Materials Act of 1947.
• Removes the current limitation that hardrock minerals cannot be leased on federally acquired lands unless the land was acquired under a statute specifically authorizing hardrock leasing.

Official summary

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.

Latest action

Sep 17, 2026: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 669.

Committee: Senate Energy and Natural Resources