Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 1366, the Mining Regulatory Clarity Act of 2025, sponsored by Representative Mark Amodei (R-Nev.). The bipartisan bill restores regulatory clarity and stability for mining projects by establishing a new category of mill sites to ensure that operators can use federal lands for ancillary activities. House Committee on Natural Resources members issued the following statements in response:

“The Mining Regulatory Clarity Act restores regulatory certainty that was lost due to the misguided 2022 Rosemont decision. The bill reaffirms that mining support activities are an essential part of responsible mineral development. It encourages domestic mineral production at a moment when America’s economy and national security depend on mining more than ever. I would like to thank Representative Amodei for his leadership on this important legislation,” said Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.).

“Strengthening our domestic mineral supply chain isn’t optional, it’s demanded to ensure we don’t fall further behind China. Western states are sitting on a wealth of resources and a critical opportunity to break our dangerous reliance on foreign adversaries while powering our own economy. The Mining Regulatory Clarity Act restores decades of established precedent, repairs a permitting process undermined by the Rosemont decision, and gives domestic mining operations the certainty they need to compete aggressively and win. I’m glad to see the House pass this bill once again with bipartisan support, and I urge the Senate to act swiftly to get it signed into law,” said Representative Mark Amodei (R-Nev.).

Background

In 2022, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a decision revoking an approved mine plan of operation for the Rosemont Copper Mine in Arizona. The decision limits the Forest Service’s ability to approve support activities necessary for conducting mining operations on federal land, upending over 40 years of regulatory and legal precedent. If allowed to stand, the Rosemont decision will continue to thwart hardrock mining projects across federal lands, further jeopardizing domestic mineral supply chains, energy security, and national security.

H.R. 1366, the Mining Regulatory Clarity Act, is not targeted at any single mining site but instead seeks to restore the longstanding certainty needed for mine operations nationwide. The bill offers necessary regulatory clarity by establishing a new category of mill sites for activities related to mining that operators can incorporate within an approved plan of operations.

The legislation also creates an “Abandoned Hardrock Mine Fund” to support the reclamation program established under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Claim maintenance fees will be used to fund a program to inventory, assess, and remediate abandoned hardrock mine lands.