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[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3708 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 3708
To amend the Mineral Leasing Act for Acquired Lands to make that Act
applicable to hardrock minerals, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
January 28, 2026
Mr. Cotton introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Mineral Leasing Act for Acquired Lands to make that Act
applicable to hardrock minerals, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Mineral Extraction for Renewable
Industry and Critical Applications Act of 2026'' or the ``MERICA Act of
2026''.
SEC. 2. APPLICATION OF MINERAL LEASING ACT FOR ACQUIRED LANDS TO
HARDROCK MINERALS.
The Mineral Leasing Act for Acquired Lands is amended--
(1) in section 2 (30 U.S.C. 351)--
(A) in the sixth sentence, by striking ``The term''
and all that follows through ``embrace'' and inserting
the following:
``(5) Oil.--The term `oil' means'';
(B) in the fifth sentence, by striking ```Lease'''
and inserting the following:
``(3) Lease.--The term `lease''';
(C) by striking the fourth sentence and inserting
the following:
``(4) Mineral leasing laws.--The term `mineral leasing
laws' means--
``(A) the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 181 et
seq.);
``(B) the Act of April 17, 1926 (44 Stat. 301,
chapter 158; 30 U.S.C. 271 et seq.);
``(C) the Act of February 7, 1927 (44 Stat. 1057,
chapter 66; 30 U.S.C. 281 et seq.); and
``(D) all Acts amendatory or supplementary to any
of the Acts described in subparagraphs (A) through
(D).'';
(D) in the third sentence, by striking
```Secretary''' and inserting the following:
``(6) Secretary.--The term `Secretary''';
(E) in the second sentence--
(i) by striking ``(36 Stat.'' and all that
follows through the period at the end and
inserting ``(commonly known as the `Weeks Law')
(36 Stat. 961, chapter 186; 16 U.S.C. 552 et
seq.).''; and
(ii) by striking ```Acquired lands' or
`lands acquired by the United States' include''
and inserting the following:
``(1) Acquired lands; lands acquired by the united
states.--The terms `acquired lands' and `lands acquired by the
United States' mean'';
(F) in the first sentence, by striking ``As used in
this Act `United States''' and inserting the following:
``In this Act:
``(7) United states.--The term `United States''';
(G) by moving the paragraphs so as to appear in
numerical order; and
(H) by inserting after paragraph (1) (as so
designated) the following:
``(2) Hardrock mineral.--
``(A) In general.--The term `hardrock mineral'
includes deposits of--
``(i) minerals found in sedimentary or
other rocks;
``(ii) base metals;
``(iii) precious metals;
``(iv) industrial metals; and
``(v) precious and semi-precious gemstones.
``(B) Exclusions.--The term `hardrock mineral' does
not include deposits of--
``(i) coal;
``(ii) oil;
``(iii) oil shale;
``(iv) gas;
``(v) sodium;
``(vi) potassium;
``(vii) sulfur; or
``(viii) mineral materials subject to
disposition under the Act of July 31, 1947
(commonly known as the `Materials Act of 1947')
(61 Stat. 681, chapter 406; 30 U.S.C. 601 et
seq.).''; and
(2) in section 3 (30 U.S.C. 352), in the first sentence, by
striking ``and sulfur'' and inserting ``sulfur, and hardrock
minerals''.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
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