HR1865-119

Introduced

To modify the requirements applicable to locatable minerals on public domain lands, consistent with the principles of self-initiation of mining claims, and for other purposes.

119th Congress Introduced Mar 5, 2025

Analysis under review: This bill has generated analysis that may be too generic or incomplete. Clause-level evidence remains available below.

Summary

What This Bill Does

This bill, To modify the requirements applicable to locatable minerals on public domain lands, consistent with the principles of self-initiation of mining claims, and for other purposes., changes federal law or congressional policy affecting environmental regulators and natural-resource users. The main policy domain is Environment, Energy, Transportation.

Who Benefits and How

environmental regulators and natural-resource users may benefit from new authority, funding, eligibility, regulatory clarity, or reduced risk created by the bill.

Who Bears the Burden and How

federal implementing agencies, environmental regulators and natural-resource users may take on implementation duties, reporting obligations, compliance costs, or oversight responsibilities.

Key Provisions

  • Section HBA2F431EA1D04113ADC40F8E73986E38: 1. Short title; table of contents This Act may be cited as the Mining Waste, Fraud, and Abuse Prevention Act of 2025. The table of contents for this Act is as...
  • Section HF337434DDE9A4B90A8AE46A2FA8E6981: 2. Definitions and references As used in this Act: The term Abandoned Hardrock Mine Reclamation Program means the program established by section 40704 of the...
  • Section H591D87051EE34D5DA7FC427A93046BE3: 3. Application rules This Act shall apply to any mining claim, millsite, or tunnel site located under the general mining laws before or on the effective date...
  • Section H78ED31DEAC0D4F3394B941CD07E67C36: 101. Closure to entry and location Except as otherwise provided in this section, as of the effective date of this Act, all Federal land is closed to entry and...
  • Section HBDEE7A8A30724EE8A5DAE07F604EF095: 102. Limitation on patents After the effective date of this Act, no patent shall be issued by the United States for any mining claim located under the general...

Evidence Chain:

This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.

At a Glance

What This Bill Does

This bill, To modify the requirements applicable to locatable minerals on public domain lands, consistent with the principles of self-initiation of mining claims, and for other purposes., changes federal law or congressional policy affecting environmental regulators and natural-resource users.

Key Policy Areas

Environment, Energy, Transportation

Primary Purpose

This bill, To modify the requirements applicable to locatable minerals on public domain lands, consistent with the principles of self-initiation of mining claims, and for other purposes., changes federal law or congressional policy affecting environmental regulators and natural-resource users.

Policy Domains

Environment Energy Transportation

Whole bill

Identified Gains
  • environmental regulators and natural-resource users
Model: codex-gpt-5 | Version: bill_summary_v2 | Source: ih
environmental regulators and natural-resource users:
Identified Costs
  • federal implementing agencies
  • environmental regulators and natural-resource users
Model: codex-gpt-5 | Version: bill_summary_v2 | Source: ih
federal implementing agencies:
environmental regulators and natural-resource users:

Legislative Progress

Introduced
Introduced Committee Passed
Mar 5, 2025

Mr. Grijalva (for himself and Mr. Huffman) introduced the following …

Stakeholder Effects

cui bono?

How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.

Mining
22 mentions across 22 clauses
+6 positive -15 negative ?1 uncertain

Commercial mineral prospectors, Companies applying for mining exploration permits, Companies with operations permits for hardrock minerals on Federal land

Positive-direction: Entities interested in hardrock mineral exploration or development on federal lands, Large-scale mining operations (>100 acres), Mineral claimants on Federal lands, Mining operators, Persons engaging in mineral activities on Federal land, Qualified small miners

Negative-direction: Commercial mineral prospectors, Companies applying for mining exploration permits, Companies with operations permits for hardrock minerals on Federal land, Holders of unpatented mining claims, millsites, or tunnel sites on Federal land, Mining and mineral exploration companies, Mining claim holders, Mining claim holders and millsite owners, Mining companies and applicants, Mining companies with active claims or authorizations on Federal land, Mining companies, claim holders, license holders, lease holders, operators, Operators conducting mineral activities, Operators engaging in hardrock mineral activities on Federal land or Indian land, Operators with mineral activity permits, Persons and entities subject to the Act

General Public
3 mentions across 3 clauses
+1 positive -1 negative ?1 uncertain

Any person alleged to be in violation of this Act, Citizens affected by mineral activities, Residents in areas proposed or approved for mineral activities

Positive-direction: Citizens affected by mineral activities

Negative-direction: Any person alleged to be in violation of this Act

Federal Administration
2 mentions across 2 clauses
+1 positive ?1 uncertain

Federal agencies undertaking mineral activities, Federal lands

Regulated Industries
1 mention across 1 clause
-1 negative

Persons subject to the requirements of this Act

Energy
1 mention across 1 clause
-1 negative

Companies engaged in oil shale extraction

Environment
1 mention across 1 clause
+1 positive

Environmental advocacy groups, businesses potentially affected by regulations

32/42
sections analyzed
Full impact breakdown

Bill Structure & Actor Mappings

Who is "The Secretary" in each section?

Domains
Environment Energy Transportation
Actor Mappings
"administrator_of_epa"
→ Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
"secretary_of_agriculture"
→ Secretary of Agriculture

Key Definitions

Terms defined in this bill

2 terms
"valid existing rights" §H0EE72BF8978947E49303A728C6908DA7

that a mining claim located for any such mineral material—(A)had and still has some property giving it the distinct and special value referred to in subsection (a), or as the case may be, met the definition of block pumice referred to in such subsection

"small miner" §HF337434DDE9A4B90A8AE46A2FA8E6981

a person (including all related parties thereto) that— holds not more than 10 mining claims, millsites, or tunnel sites, or any combination thereof, on Federal land

We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.

Learn more about our methodology