Soda Ash Royalty Reduction Act of 2005

H.R. 811, the Soda Ash Royalty Reduction Act of 2005, proposes to lower the royalty rate that companies pay the federal government for mining sodium compounds, commonly known as soda ash, on federal lands. For a period of five years, the royalty rate would be set at 2 percent of the value of the minerals produced.

This legislation aims to make U.S. soda ash more competitive in the global market, which could help protect domestic mining jobs and support industries that rely on the mineral to manufacture everyday products like glass, detergents, and paper. To evaluate the effectiveness of this change, the Department of the Interior would be required to report to Congress on how the lower rate affected job creation and federal revenue before the five-year period ends.