Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) released the following statement after the Senate passage of the bipartisan Mining Schools Act, which will bolster higher education mining and geology programs to prepare students for America’s future energy needs. This bipartisan legislation, led by Senators John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), now heads to the House of Representatives for consideration. Senator Cortez Masto is a cosponsor of this legislation.
“Many rural communities in Nevada depend on the mining economy to create good-paying jobs for Nevada families, and we must do more to invest in the next generation of Nevada workers,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “This bipartisan legislation will provide schools like the University of Nevada, Reno with more resources to train and recruit students to help us responsibly mine the critical minerals essential for our clean energy future.”
Specifically, the Mining Schools Act will:
- 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; and
- Establish the Mining Professional Development Advisory Board to evaluate applications and recommend grant recipients to the Secretary of Energy, as well as conduct oversight to ensure that grant funds are appropriately used.
You can read the full bill text 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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