Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) introduced bipartisan legislation with Senators John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) and John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) to bolster America’s mining workforce. The Mining Schools Act will establish a grant program for use by higher education institutions to recruit students and carry out research projects related to mineral production.
“Nevada is on the forefront of the growing critical mineral industry,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “This legislation will provide needed resources to universities in the Silver State to prepare young Nevadans for good-paying jobs that support our state’s economy and promote green energy production.”
The Mining Schools Act of 2025 would establish a grant program for mining schools to receive funds in order to recruit students and carry out studies, research projects, or demonstration projects related to the production of minerals. In addition to the grant program, the Act would establish the Mining Professional Development Advisory Board to evaluate applications and recommend recipients to the Secretary of Energy, as well as conduct oversight to ensure that grant funds are appropriately used. University of Nevada, Reno’s Mackay School of Earth Sciences and Engineering is one such mining school that would qualify for funding under this act.
Cosponsors of this legislation include U.S Senators Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), John Curtis (R-Utah), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Jim Justice (R-W.Va.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.).
Full text of the legislation can be found here.
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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