119:s:544 — Mining Regulatory Clarity Act

Sponsor

Introduced by

Catherine Cortez Masto

D Democrat · Senate · NV R+1

Ranking Member · Financial Institutions and Consumer Protection (sub)

Latest action

Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 334.

Action timeline

Every recorded action on this bill, newest first. Stage badges color-code the legislative path.

Feb 11, 2026

committee Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Lee without amendment. With written report No. 119-105.

Energy and Natural Resources Committee

Feb 11, 2026

other Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 334.

Apr 09, 2025

committee Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.

Energy and Natural Resources Committee

Mar 12, 2025

committee Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 119-46.

Energy and Natural Resources Committee

Feb 12, 2025

introduced Introduced in Senate

Text versions

Each stage of the bill — official text published by GPO. Click any format to read on congress.gov / govinfo.

Feb 11, 2026 Reported to Senate

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Feb 12, 2025 Introduced in Senate

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CRS summaries

Plain-English summaries written by the Congressional Research Service — neutral, nonpartisan staff who summarize bills as they advance through stages. The authoritative description of what each version of the bill does.

00 Introduced in Senate Feb 12, 2025

Mining Regulatory Clarity Act This bill allows mining operators to use federal lands for activities ancillary to mining, such as waste disposal, regardless of whether those lands contain mineral deposits valuable enough to be mined (mineral validity). It also establishes the Abandoned Hardrock Mine Fund. The bill addresses a 2022 decision in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit related to the Rosemont Copper Mine in Arizona (commonly known as the Rosemont decision, described further in CRS Report R48166). The court held that mining claims are only allowed where mineral validity has been established and that mill site claims are more appropriate means for establishing a mining waste disposal site under the Mining Act. The bill allows a mining operator to (1) locate and include within its plan of operations as many mill site claims (e.g., areas for waste rock disposal) as are reasonably necessary for its operations, and (2) use or occupy public land in accordance with an approved plan of operations. Additionally, the bill requires any revenue generated from fees for such mill site claims to be deposited into the Abandoned Hardrock Mine Fund. The Department of the Interior must use the fund for certain abandoned hardrock mine reclamation activities.

via Congressional Research Service · published through congress.gov

Changelog

ⓘ

How a bill moves through Congress. Each stage produces a new official text. The diff between them shows what changed at that step.

`ih` / `is` — Introduced in House / Senate. First filed version.

`rfh` / `rfs` — Referred to a committee for review.

`rh` / `rs` — Reported back by the committee to the floor (often with amendments — this is where most language changes happen).

`pcs` / `pch` — Placed on Calendar for floor consideration.

`eh` / `es` — Engrossed. Passed by the originating chamber. Text is now what was actually voted on.

`rdh` / `rds` — Received by the other chamber.

`eah` / `eas` — Engrossed Amendment. The other chamber passed an amended version.

`ath` / `ats` — Agreed to. Both chambers settled on the same text.

`enr` — Enrolled. Final reconciled text, sent to the President.

`pl` — Public Law. Signed by the President. It's now law.

`pp` — Public Print. Official printing post-enactment.

Most bills die before `eh`/`es`. Going from `pcs` → `enr` is the full path through both chambers.

Line-level diff between text versions of this bill — what actually changed at each legislative stage.

+31 −3 18 unchanged

--- Introduced (Senate)

+++ Reported (Senate)

@@ -1,11 +1,14 @@

[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

-[S. 544 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

+[S. 544 Reported in Senate (RS)]

<DOC>

+Calendar No. 334

119th CONGRESS

-1st Session

+2d Session

S. 544

+

+[Report No. 119-105]

To provide for the location of multiple hardrock mining mill sites, to

establish the Abandoned Hardrock Mine Fund, and for other purposes.

@@ -19,6 +22,10 @@

Ms. Cortez Masto (for herself, Mr. Risch, Ms. Rosen, Mr. Crapo, and Ms.

Murkowski) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and

referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

+

+February 11, 2026

+

+Reported by Mr. Lee, without amendment

_______________________________________________________________________

@@ -199,4 +206,25 @@

(B) in the first sentence, by striking ``The claim

main tenance fee'' and inserting the following:

``(1) In general.--The claim maintenance fee''.

-<all>

+Calendar No. 334

+

+119th CONGRESS

+

+2d Session

+

+S. 544

+

+[Report No. 119-105]

+

+_______________________________________________________________________

+

+A BILL

+

+To provide for the location of multiple hardrock mining mill sites, to

+establish the Abandoned Hardrock Mine Fund, and for other purposes.

+

+_______________________________________________________________________

+

+February 11, 2026

+

+Reported without amendment

Lobbying activity

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ZERO EMISSION TRANSPORTATION ASSOCIATION

AUTCAWENVMANSCITAX

1

filings · 2025 Q1

via Senate LDA · self-reported quarterly. Filing count = filings mentioning this bill (no position required), not money spent on it. Click a client to see all bills they've filed on.

Cosponsors (4)

Members who signed on to support this bill.