Minnesota's Economic Rights in the Superior National Forest Act
Latest action. Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)
Minnesota's Economic Rights in the Superior National Forest Act
(Sec. 2) This bill declares that minerals with the National Forest System (NFS) lands in Minnesota shall not be subject to withdrawal from disposition under U.S. mineral and geothermal leasing laws unless such withdrawal is approved by an Act of Congress.
(Sec. 3) The bill prohibits any extension or establishment of national monuments on NFS lands in Minnesota except by express authorization of Congress.
(Sec. 4) The bill declares that certain mineral leases issued within the exterior boundaries of NFS lands in Minnesota are indeterminate preference right leases that shall be: (1) issued for an initial 20-year period; and, (2) after such period, shall be renewable for 10-year periods if the lessee has complied with the terms and conditions of the lease during the 20-year period and on the condition that, at the end of each 10-year renewal period, Interior may readjust lease terms and conditions to encourage production or to address changing conditions within the lease area.
Interior may: (1) suspend operations under a lease when the lease can only be operated at a loss due to market conditions or when operations are interrupted by strikes; and (2) issue permits for the use of surface lands subject to, but not included in, the lease for the exploration, development, and use of the deposits covered by the lease.
This bill applies to all such mineral leases within the exterior boundaries of NFS lands in Minnesota, including: (1) leases that are not effective as of enactment of this bill; and (2) the existing hard rock mineral leases for Superior National Forest identified as MNES-01352 and MNES-01353.
The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) shall also apply to all such mineral leases within those boundaries. In the case of the renewal of such hard rock mineral leases, the Bureau of Land Management must complete the pending environmental assessment under NEPA within 30 days of this bill's enactment.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Passed House without amendment" stage on November 30, 2017. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on December 1, 2017: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the House
- Passage by the Senate
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 115th Congress (2017-18), 442 of the 11,421 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 3.9 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
Tom Emmer (R-MN) introduced it on October 2, 2017, and 3 members have since signed on as cosponsors.
They come from both major parties: 1 Democrat, 2 Republicans.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on October 2, 2017, 3265 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 3205 days ago, on December 1, 2017.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 115th Congress has not finished by January 3, 2019 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- HouseIn committee, no floor vote yet
- SenateAwaits House passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers