,,ii ,calendar ,no4 #ceg #aaith ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,r4 #acff ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,december #ah1 #bjbe ,received ,march #ag1 #bjbf ,read twice and placed on the calendar ,,an ,,act ,to provide for the location of multiple hardrock mining mill sites1 to establish the ,abandoned ,hardrock ,mine ,fund1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,mining ,regulatory ,clarity ,act4 #b4 ,hardrock mining mill sites 7a7 ,multiple mill sites ,section #bccg of the ,revised ,statutes of the ,united ,states 7#cj ,u4,s4,c4 #db7 is amended by adding at the end the following3 7c7 ,additional mill sites 7#a7 ,definitions ,in this subsection3 7,a7 ,mill site ,the term mill site means a location of public land that is reasonably necessary for waste rock or tailings disposal or other operations reasonably incident to mineral development on1 or production from land included in a plan of operations4 7,b7 ,operations2 ,operator ,the terms operations and operator have the meanings given those terms in section #chji4e of title #dc1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations 7as in effect on the date of enactment of this subsection74 7,c7 ,plan of operations ,the term plan of operations means a plan of operations that an operator must submit and the ,secretary of the ,interior or the ,secretary of ,agriculture1 as applicable1 must approve before an operator may begin operations1 in accordance with1 as applicable-- 7i7 subpart #chji of title #dc1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations 7or successor regulations establishing application and approval requirements72 and 7ii7 part #bbh of title #cf1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations 7or successor regulations establishing application and approval requirements74 7,d7 ,public land ,the term public land means land owned by the ,united ,states that is open to location under sections #bcai through #bcdd of the ,revised ,statutes of the ,united ,states 7#cj ,u4,s4,c4 #bb et seq471 including-- 7i7 land that is mineral-in-character 7as defined in section #chcj4e of title #dc1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations 7as in effect on the date of enactment of this subsection772 7ii7 nonmineral land 7as defined in section #chcj4e of title #dc1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations 7as in effect on the date of enactment of this subsection772 and 7iii7 land where the mineral character has not been determined4 7#b7 ,in general ,notwithstanding subsections 7a7 and 7b71 where public land is needed by the proprietor of a lode or placer claim for operations in connection with any lode or placer claim within the proposed plan of operations1 the proprietor may-- 7,a7 locate and include within the plan of operations as many mill site claims under this subsection as are reasonably necessary for its operations2 and 7,b7 use or occupy public land in accordance with an approved plan of operations4 7#c7 ,mill sites convey no mineral rights ,a mill site under this subsection does not convey mineral rights to the locator4 7#d7 ,size of mill sites ,a location of a single mill site under this subsection shall not exceed #e acres4 7#e7 ,mill site and lode or placer claims on same tracts of public land ,a mill site may be located under this subsection on a tract of public land on which the claimant or operator maintains a previously located lode or placer claim4 7#f7 ,effect on mining claims ,the location of a mill site under this subsection shall not affect the validity of any lode or placer claim1 or any rights associated with such a claim4 7#g7 ,patenting ,a mill site under this section shall not be eligible for patenting4 7#h7 ,savings provisions ,nothing in this subsection-- 7,a7 diminishes any right 7including a right of entry1 use1 or occupancy7 of a claimant2 7,b7 creates or increases any right 7including a right of exploration1 entry1 use1 or occupancy7 of a claimant on land that is not open to location under the general mining laws2 7,c7 modifies any provision of law or any prior administrative action withdrawing land from location or entry2 7,d7 limits the right of the ,federal ,government to regulate mining and mining-related activities 7including requiring claim validity examinations to establish the discovery of a valuable mineral deposit7 in areas withdrawn from mining1 including under-- 7i7 the general mining laws2 7ii7 the ,federal ,land ,policy and ,management ,act of #aigf 7#dc ,u4,s4,c4 #agja et seq472 7iii7 the ,wilderness ,act 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #aaca et seq472 7iv7 sections #ajjgca through #ajjgcg of title #ed1 ,united ,states ,code2 7v7 the ,endangered ,species ,act of #aigc 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #aeca et seq472 7vi7 division ,a of subtitle ,,iii of title #ed1 ,united ,states ,code 7commonly referred to as the #8,national ,historic ,preservation ,act'72 or 7vii7 section #d of the ,act of ,july #bc1 #aiee 7commonly known as the ,surface ,resources ,act of #aiee7 7#fi ,stat4 #cfh1 chapter #cge2 #cj ,u4,s4,c4 #fab72 7,e7 restores any right 7including a right of entry1 use1 or occupancy1 or right to conduct operations7 of a claimant that-- 7i7 existed prior to the date on which the land was closed to1 or withdrawn from1 location under the general mining laws2 and 7ii7 that has been extinguished by such closure or withdrawal2 or 7,f7 modifies section #djd of division ,e of the ,consolidated ,appropriations ,act1 #bjbd 7,public ,law #aah-db74 4 7b7 ,abandoned ,hardrock ,mine ,fund 7#a7 ,establishment ,there is established in the ,treasury of the ,united ,states a separate account1 to be known as the ,abandoned ,hardrock ,mine ,fund 7referred to in this subsection as the ,fund74 7#b7 ,source of deposits ,any amounts collected by the ,secretary of the ,interior pursuant to the claim maintenance fee under section #ajaja7;a77#a7 of the ,omnibus ,budget ,reconciliation ,act of #aiic 7#cj ,u4,s4,c4 #bh;f7a77#a77 on mill sites located under subsection 7c7 of section #bccg of the ,revised ,statutes of the ,united ,states 7#cj ,u4,s4,c4 #db7 shall be deposited into the ,fund4 7#c7 ,use ,the ,secretary of the ,interior may make expenditures from amounts available in the ,fund1 without further appropriations1 only to carry out section #djgjd of the ,infrastructure ,investment and ,jobs ,act 7#cj ,u4,s4,c4 #abde74 7#d7 ,allocation of funds ,amounts made available under paragraph 7#c7-- 7,a7 shall be allocated in accordance with section #djgjd7;e77#a7 of the ,infrastructure ,investment and ,jobs ,act 7#cj ,u4,s4,c4 #abde7;e77#a772 and 7,b7 may be transferred in accordance with section #djgjd7;e77#b7 of that ,act 7#cj ,u4,s4,c4 #abde7;e77#b774 7c7 ,clerical amendments ,section #ajaja of the ,omnibus ,budget ,reconciliation ,act of #aiic 7#cj ,u4,s4,c4 #bh;f7 is amended-- 7#a7 by striking the ,mining ,law of #ahgb 7#cj ,u4,s4,c4 #bh-bh;e7 each place it appears and inserting sections #bcai through #bcdd of the ,revised ,statutes of the ,united ,states 7#cj ,u4,s4,c4 #bb et seq472 7#b7 in subsection 7a7-- 7,a7 in paragraph 7#a7-- 7i7 in the second sentence1 by striking ,such claim maintenance fee and inserting the following3 7,b7 ,fee ,the claim maintenance fee under subparagraph 7,a7 2 and 7ii7 in the first sentence1 by striking ,the holder of and inserting the following3 7,a7 ,in general ,the holder of 2 and 7,b7 in paragraph 7#b7-- 7i7 in the second sentence1 by striking ,such claim maintenance fee and inserting the following3 7,b7 ,fee ,the claim maintenance fee under subparagraph 7,a7 2 and 7ii7 in the first sentence1 by striking ,the holder of and inserting the following3 7,a7 ,in general ,the holder of 2 and 7#c7 in subsection 7b7-- 7,a7 in the second sentence1 by striking ,the location fee and inserting the following3 7#b7 ,fee ,the location fee 2 and 7,b7 in the first sentence1 by striking ,the claim main tenance fee and inserting the following3 7#a7 ,in general ,the claim maintenance fee 4 ,passed the ,house of ,representatives ,december #ah1 #bjbe4,kevin ,f4 ,mc,cumber1,clerk4 ,march #ag1 #bjbf ,read twice and placed on the calendar