Hardrock Mineral Development Act
Latest action. Referred to Senate Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs.
Hardrock Mineral Development Act - Declares the policies of Congress and defines the terms used in this Act. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to issue to any person a prospecting license. States that no person may conduct mineral prospecting for commercial for purposes for any hardrock mineral on Federal lands without such a prospecting license. Penalizes violations of this Act. Authorizes the Secretary to issue to any person an exploration lease on Federal lands for hardrock minerals under this Act. Provides that no lease for Federal lands may be issued under this Act unless the lease includes a development plan which has been approved by the Secretary, and the lease provides that failure to comply with such plan will terminate the lease. Prescribes the terms governing such issuance of a hardrock mineral exploration leases, the acreage limitations, and issuance of multiple leases. States that the lessee shall have, under his lease, the right to use, free of charge, so much of the surface of the leased area as may be reasonably required for the actual extraction and removal of the hardrock mineral subject to his lease. Empowers the Secretary to suspend operations or production, or both, under any lease granted under this Act. Provides for termination of a lease for default in payment of rental and prescribes procedures for reinstatement. Authorizes the Secretary: (1) to issue regulations to carry out the provisions and purposes of this Act; and (2) to make such inspections and investigations as he considers necessary or appropriate to develop or enforce Federal regulations, or otherwise to carry out the purposes of this Act.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in Senate" stage on February 28, 1974. 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 February 28, 1974: Referred to Senate Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the Senate
- Passage by the House
- 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 93rd Congress (1973-74), 651 of the 23,396 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 2.8 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?
LEE METCALF (D-MT) introduced it on February 28, 1974. No cosponsors are recorded.
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 February 28, 1974, 19187 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 19187 days ago, on February 28, 1974.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 93rd Congress has not finished by January 3, 1975 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
- SenateIn committee, no floor vote yet
- HouseAwaits Senate passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers