S3596-118

Reported

To amend the Mineral Leasing Act to amend references of gilsonite to asphaltite.

118th Congress Introduced Jan 17, 2024

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 makes a simple terminology change to the Mineral Leasing Act, replacing all references to "gilsonite" with "asphaltite." Gilsonite is a trademarked name for a naturally occurring solid hydrocarbon (a type of natural asphalt), while asphaltite is the generic scientific term for this mineral. The change affects multiple sections of federal mineral leasing law.

Who Benefits and How

Mineral extraction companies that mine natural asphalt deposits benefit from clearer, standardized terminology in federal leasing regulations. Using the generic term "asphaltite" removes any potential confusion or trademark concerns associated with the brand name "gilsonite."

Federal regulatory agencies benefit from consistent scientific terminology in mineral leasing statutes, making regulations easier to interpret and apply.

Who Bears the Burden and How

This bill imposes no new costs, restrictions, or requirements on any party. It is purely a technical correction that updates terminology without changing the substance of mineral leasing law.

Key Provisions

  • Amends the first section of the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 181) to replace "gilsonite" with "asphaltite"
  • Amends sections 21, 27, 34, 39, and 43 of the Mineral Leasing Act to make the same terminology change
  • Replaces a trademarked term with the scientifically accurate generic name for the mineral

Evidence Chain:

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

At a Glance

What This Bill Does

Amends the Mineral Leasing Act to replace references to 'gilsonite' with 'asphaltite'.

Key Policy Areas

Energy, Environment

Primary Purpose

Amends the Mineral Leasing Act to replace references to 'gilsonite' with 'asphaltite'.

Policy Domains

Energy Environment

Legislative Progress

Reported
Introduced Committee Passed
Nov 21, 2024

Reported by Mr. Manchin, without amendment

Jan 17, 2024

Mr. Lee introduced the following bill; which was read twice …

Bill Structure & Actor Mappings

Who is "The Secretary" in each section?

Domains
Energy

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