I
118THCONGRESS
1
STSESSION H. R. 1457
To require the Secretary of the Interior to take certain actions with respect
to certain qualified coal applications, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH8, 2023
Ms. H
AGEMANintroduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Natural Resources
A BILL
To require the Secretary of the Interior to take certain
actions with respect to certain qualified coal applications,
and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Combating Obstruction 4
Against Leasing Act’’ or the ‘‘COAL Act’’. 5
SEC. 2. LEASING FOR CERTAIN QUALIFIED COAL APPLICA-6
TIONS. 7
(a) D
EFINITIONS.—In this section: 8
(1) C
OAL LEASE.—The term ‘‘coal lease’’ 9
means a lease entered into by the United States as 10
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lessor, through the Bureau of Land Management, 1
and the applicant on Bureau of Land Management 2
Form 3400–012. 3
(2) Q
UALIFIED APPLICATION .—The term 4
‘‘qualified application’’ means any application pend-5
ing under the lease by application program adminis-6
tered by the Bureau of Land Management pursuant 7
to the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 181 et seq.) 8
and subpart 3425 of title 43, Code of Federal Regu-9
lations (as in effect on the date of the enactment of 10
this Act), for which the environmental review proc-11
ess under the National Environmental Policy Act of 12
1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) has commenced. 13
(b) M
ANDATORYLEASING ANDOTHERREQUIRED 14
A
PPROVALS.—As soon as practicable after the date of the 15
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall promptly— 16
(1) with respect to each qualified application— 17
(A) if not previously published for public 18
comment, publish a draft environmental assess-19
ment, as required under the National Environ-20
mental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et 21
seq.) and any applicable implementing regula-22
tions; 23
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(B) finalize the fair market value of the 1
coal tract for which a lease by application is 2
pending; 3
(C) take all intermediate actions necessary 4
to grant the qualified application; and 5
(D) grant the qualified application; and 6
(2) with respect to previously awarded coal 7
leases, grant any additional approvals of the Depart-8
ment of the Interior or any bureau, agency, or divi-9
sion of the Department of the Interior required for 10
mining activities to commence. 11
SEC. 3. FUTURE COAL LEASING. 12
Notwithstanding any judicial decision to the contrary 13
or a departmental review of the Federal coal leasing pro-14
gram, Secretarial Order 3338, issued by the Secretary of 15
the Interior on January 15, 2016, shall have no force or 16
effect. 17
Æ
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