A bill to allow certain Federal minerals to be mined consistent with the Bull Mountains Mining Plan Modification, and for other purposes.

Last action on Feb 11, 2026Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Order...

Summary

S. 362 would allow coal to be mined on roughly 800 acres of federal land in Musselshell County, Montana. The bill specifically authorizes mining of federal coal reserves under Federal Coal Lease MTM 97988 in accordance with the 2020 Bull Mountains Mining Plan Modification. The Bull Mountains Mine is operated by Signal Peak Energy. If enacted, the bill would direct the Department of the Interior to approve the mining plan modification without modification or delay.

The bill has passed committee review by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and is now eligible for a floor vote in the Senate. If it becomes law, it would streamline the approval process for coal extraction on these specific federal lands in Montana. Citizens in the region could potentially see increased mining activity and associated economic activity, though the bill does not address environmental monitoring or mitigation measures beyond what may be included in the existing mining plan modification.

Lifecycle of the Bill

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

Mar 12, 2025

HearingSenateMeeting

Mar 12, 2025 · 14:00

Hearings to examine S.362, to allow certain Federal minerals to be mined consistent with the Bull Mountains Mining Plan Modification, S.544, to provide for the location of multiple hardrock mining mill sites, to establish the Abandoned Hardrock Mine Fund, S.596, to establish a pilot program to support domestic critical material processing, S.714, to amend the Energy Act of 2020 to include critical materials in the definition of critical mineral, S.789, to require reports on critical mineral and rare earth element resources around the world and a strategy for the development of advanced mining, refining, separation, and processing technologies, and S.859, to modify the requirements applicable to locatable minerals on public domain land.

Committee

Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

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Summary

The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources held a hearing on March 12, 2025, to examine six bills addressing domestic mining and critical minerals supply chains. The bills included S.362 (Bull Mountains Mining Plan Modification), S.544 (Mining Regulatory Clarity Act), S.596 (Critical Materials Future Act), S.714 (Critical Mineral Consistency Act), S.789 (Critical Minerals Security Act), and S.859 (Mining Waste, Fraud, and Abuse Prevention Act). These bills represent a range of approaches to U.S. mining policy, from regulatory clarification to supply chain security and environmental oversight. S.544 would allow mining operators to use federal lands for activities ancillary to mining, such as waste disposal, and would establish the Abandoned Hardrock Mine Fund. S.789 focuses on securing U.S. access to critical minerals and rare earth elements by requiring the Department of the Interior to report on global critical mineral resources and develop strategies for advanced mining technologies. S.714 aims to align federal definitions of critical minerals across agencies. S.859 seeks to modify requirements for mineral claims on public lands and establish royalty requirements for mining operations. The bills reflect bipartisan concern about reducing U.S. dependence on foreign sources, particularly China, for critical minerals essential to national security and emerging technologies. No witnesses were listed for this hearing. The hearing examined these bills but did not guarantee their advancement. The committee later scheduled a business meeting in April 2025 to consider some of these bills for further action.

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Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported with an amendment favorably.

Apr 9, 2025

HearingSenateMeeting

Apr 9, 2025 · 14:00

Business meeting to consider S.154, to amend the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2015, to reauthorize the Colorado River System conservation pilot program, S.362, to allow certain Federal minerals to be mined consistent with the Bull Mountains Mining Plan Modification, S.544, to provide for the location of multiple hardrock mining mill sites, to establish the Abandoned Hardrock Mine Fund, S.714, to amend the Energy Act of 2020 to include critical materials in the definition of critical mineral, and the nominations of Katharine MacGregor, of Florida, to be Deputy Secretary of the Interior, and James Danly, of Tennessee, to be Deputy Secretary of Energy.

Committee

Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

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Summary

The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources held a business meeting on April 9, 2025 to consider four pieces of legislation and two nominations. The bills addressed mining regulation, critical minerals, and water conservation. S.544, the Mining Regulatory Clarity Act, would allow mining operators to locate multiple mill sites on federal lands for waste disposal and establish an Abandoned Hardrock Mine Fund using claim maintenance fees to support cleanup of abandoned mines. S.714, the Critical Mineral Consistency Act of 2025, would align the U.S. Geological Survey's critical minerals list with the Department of Energy's critical materials list to ensure consistent federal treatment of these resources. S.362 would allow certain federal minerals to be mined consistent with the Bull Mountains Mining Plan Modification, and S.154 would reauthorize the Colorado River System conservation pilot program. The committee also considered nominations of Katharine MacGregor to be Deputy Secretary of the Interior and James Danly to be Deputy Secretary of Energy. As a business meeting, this session was focused on committee consideration of the bills and nominations rather than hearing public testimony. The bills would now advance to the full Senate for further consideration, though passage is not guaranteed.

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Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Lee with an amendment. With written report No. 119-103.

Feb 11, 2026

Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Lee with an amendment. With written report No. 119-103.

Feb 11, 2026

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A bill to allow certain Federal minerals to be mined consistent with the Bull Mountains Mining Plan Modification, and for other purposes.

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Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

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