JAC15C98 S.L.C.

114

TH

CONGRESS 1

ST

S

ESSION

 

S.

 ll

To modify the requirements applicable to locatable minerals on public domain land, and for other purposes.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 llllllllll

Mr. U

DALL

(for himself, Mr. H

EINRICH

, Mr. B

ENNET

, Mr. W 

 YDEN

, and Mr. M

 ARKEY 

) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on

 llllllllll

A BILL

To modify the requirements applicable to locatable minerals on public domain land, and for other purposes.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-

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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

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(a) S

HORT

T

ITLE

.—This Act may be cited as the

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‘‘Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act of 2015’’.

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(b) T

 ABLE OF

C

ONTENTS

.—The table of contents of

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this Act is as follows:

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Sec.1.Short title; table of contents. Sec.2.Definitions. TITLE I—LOCATABLE MINERAL DEPOSITS Sec.101.Limitation on patents.

 

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JAC15C98 S.L.C. Sec.102.Fees. Sec.103.Limitations. TITLE II—ROYALTIES Sec.201.Royalty. Sec.202.Royalty relief. Sec.203.Enforcement. Sec.204.Review. TITLE III—MINERAL ACTIVITIES Sec.301.Permits. Sec.302.Exploration permits. Sec.303.Mining permits. Sec.304.Financial assurances. Sec.305.Transfer, assignment, or sale of right. Sec.306.Operation and reclamation. Sec.307.Land open to location. Sec.308.State law. Sec.309.Inspection and monitoring. TITLE IV—HARDROCK MINERALS RECLAMATION FUND Sec.401.Establishment of Fund. Sec.402.Use and objectives of the Fund. Sec.403.Abandoned mine land reclamation fee. TITLE V—TRANSITION RULES, ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS,  AND MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS Sec.501.Transition rules. Sec.502.Enforcement. Sec.503.Judicial review. Sec.504.Uncommon varieties. Sec.505.Review of uranium development on Federal land. Sec.506.Effect.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

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In this Act:

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(1) A 

BANDONED HARDROCK MINE STATE

.—The

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term ‘‘abandoned hardrock mine State’’ means each

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of the States of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colo-

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rado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North

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Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington,

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and Wyoming.

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JAC15C98 S.L.C.

(2) A 

PPLICANT

.—The term ‘‘applicant’’ means

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any person that applies for—

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(A) a permit under this Act; or

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(B) a modification to, or a renewal of, a

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permit issued under this Act.

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(3) B

ENEFICIATION

.—The term ‘‘beneficiation’’

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means—

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(A) the crushing and grinding of locatable

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mineral ore; and

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(B) any processes that are employed to

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free the mineral from other constituents, includ-

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ing physical and chemical separation tech-

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niques.

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(4) C

 ASUAL USE

.—

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(A) I

N GENERAL

.—The term ‘‘casual use’’

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means mineral activities that ordinarily result

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in no or negligible disturbance of Federal land

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or resources.

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(B) I

NCLUSIONS

.—The term ‘‘casual use’’

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includes the collection of geochemical, rock, soil,

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or mineral specimens using hand tools, hand

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panning, or nonmotorized sluicing.

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(C) E

 XCLUSIONS

.—The term ‘‘casual use’’

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does not include—

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