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HR 1457 118th Congress House Public Lands and Natural Resources Coal Environmental assessment, monitoring, research Licensing and registrations Mining

COAL Act

Introduced: March 8, 2023 Introduced by: Hageman, Harriet M. Republican · Wyoming See on congress.gov
 Everywhere this bill has been 3 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Mar 22, 2023
Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources.
Mar 8, 2023
Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
Mar 8, 2023
Introduced in House
 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Combating Obstruction Against Leasing Act or the COAL Act

This bill requires the Department of the Interior to take specified actions with respect to qualified coal leasing applications.

Specifically, Interior must, with respect to

  • each qualified application, promptly publish a draft environmental assessment and any applicable implementing regulations, finalize the fair market value of the coal tract for which a lease by application is pending, take all intermediate actions necessary to grant the application, and grant the application; and
  • previously awarded coal leases, grant any additional approvals of Interior, or any bureau, agency, or division of Interior, required for mining activities to commence.

The bill provides that, notwithstanding any judicial decision to the contrary or a departmental review of the federal coal leasing program, Secretarial Order 3338 (which directs the Bureau of Land Management to analyze and consider potential leasing and management reforms to the program), issued by Interior on January 15, 2016, shall have no force or effect.

What's happening now March 22, 2023

Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources.

 Committees of jurisdiction 2