Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Jim Risch (R-Idaho) reintroduced the Mining Regulatory Clarity Act to allow critical mineral production to continue in the West. This bill is led in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congressman Mark Amodei (R-Nev.-02).
“We need to streamline our federal permitting process to unleash the full potential of Nevada’s critical mineral economy,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “I’m continuing my bipartisan push to pass this commonsense bill that will cut red tape, protect mining jobs in Nevada, help support clean energy projects nationwide.”
“Domestic mineral production is critical to everyday energy, technology, and national security needs,” said Senator Risch. “For too long, Idaho’s minerals have been tied up in red tape, preventing responsible use of our natural resources. The Mining Regulatory Clarity Act ensures mining projects in Idaho and across the West can proceed and provide invaluable support to our communities and country.”
“The Rosemont Decision overturned decades of established precedent that allowed our domestic mining operations to flourish, and instead blocked production efforts with excessive red tape,” said Representative Mark Amodei. “Out West, we have an abundance of natural resources that we can responsibly utilize to reduce our reliance on adversaries and strengthen our national security. This bill reverses the damage caused by the misguided Rosemont Decision and restores clarity for critical mining projects to move forward.”
“The Nevada Mining Association applauds and supports the bipartisan Mining Regulatory Clarity Act,” said Amanda Hilton, President of Nevada Mining Association. “Nevada is a leading producer of critical minerals like copper, lithium, and magnesium, along with more than 20 other materials essential to daily life. This legislation provides necessary stability for Nevada’s modern mining industry, ensuring it can operate efficiently and sustain the high-paying jobs that tens of thousands of Nevada families depend on. We appreciate Senator Cortez Masto’s ongoing leadership in advocating for Nevada’s mining community.”
“The bipartisan Mining Regulatory Clarity Act is KEY to ensuring the U.S. can use our vast domestic resources to build the essential mineral supply chains we know we must have,” said Rich Nolan, National Mining Association president and CEO. “China’s recent actions to cut off VITAL mineral supply chains underscores the need to strengthen domestic mineral supply chains for manufacturing, energy, national security and other priorities. This legislation ensures the fundamental ability to conduct responsible mining activities on federal lands. Regulatory certainty, or the lack thereof, will either underpin or undermine efforts to meet the extraordinary mineral demand now at our doorstep.”
“BPC Action is pleased to see Sens. James Risch (R-ID) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) working together to tackle barriers to expand America’s critical mineral supply. The bipartisan Mining Regulatory Clarity Act provides much needed regulatory certainty for mining projects, strengthening critical mineral supply chains while driving job creation in the sector,” said Michele Stockwell, President of Bipartisan Policy Center Action.
“If we’re going to achieve U.S. energy dominance, spur innovation, and support American manufacturing, we need to expand the domestic production of critical minerals. We can do so while supporting workers, communities, and our natural resources through sensible, transparent, and efficient regulations. Advanced Energy United is encouraged to see the “Mining Regulatory Clarity Act,” which should enhance business certainty around our mining rules and regulations,” said Harry Godfrey, Managing Director for Federal Affairs at Advanced Energy United.
“As demand for electric vehicles continues to grow at home and abroad, the need for mineral commodities, including lithium, cobalt, graphite, and copper will likewise rise dramatically. Mining is essential for the United States to fulfill demand in the electric vehicle and clean energy sectors, not to mention other mineral applications in defense, consumer electronics, and advanced computing. The Mining Regulatory Clarity Act is the result of a years-long, bipartisan effort to reestablish certainty for mineral producers in the United States. ZETA applauds Senators Cortez Masto and Risch for their tireless efforts to advance this critical legislation,” said Albert Gore, Zero Emission Transportation Association (ZETA).
The Mining Regulatory Clarity Act provides regulatory certainty for mining projects and reaffirms long-held practice that some public land use under a mining claim inherently accompanies exploration and extraction activities for other mining-support activities. This bill creates an optional and voluntary pathway to allow use of public lands for ancillary purposes connected to a mining project that can only be used within an agency-approved Plan of Operations. The bill also creates a new revenue stream from new mill site claims to be dedicated to abandoned mine clean-up efforts. This legislation is cosponsored by Senators Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska).
Senator Cortez Masto has led efforts in Congress to support Nevada’s mining industry, protecting more than 83,000 local jobs and paving the way for Nevada to power the clean energy economy. She has consistently blocked burdensome taxes on mining and wrote important provisions of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to bolster Nevada’s critical mineral supply chain and fund battery recycling programs in the state. She’s also introduced bipartisan legislation to strengthen the domestic supply chain for rare-earth magnets.
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