To amend the Mineral Leasing Act for Acquired Lands to make that Act applicable to hardrock minerals.
Key claim: HR3872 would make all federally acquired lands eligible for hardrock mineral leasing under the Mineral Leasing Act for Acquired Lands by defining and including hardrock minerals within the Act’s scope.
Abstract
(HR3872 · 119th Congress) This bill specifies that all federally acquired lands are eligible to be considered for hardrock mineral leasing under the Mineral Leasing Act for Acquired Lands (MLAAL). The bill defines the term hardrock mineral to (1) include deposits of minerals found in sedimentary or other rocks, base metals, precious metals, industrial minerals, and precious and semi-precious gemstones; and (2) exclude deposits of coal, oil, oil shale, gas, sodium, potassium, sulfur, or mineral materials subject to disposition under the Materials Act of 1947. By way of background, hardrock minerals are not currently listed under the MLAAL as deposits subject to a lease, while mineral resources such as coal, phosphate, oil, gas, gilsonite, and sulfur are listed. As a result, federal lands may be leased for mining hardrock minerals only if the federal lands were acquired under a statute, such as the Weeks Act, that specifically authorizes the land to be used for hardrock mineral leasing. Latest action (2026-06-10): Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
Why this matters
Extending MLAAL to hardrock minerals would shift acquired federal lands from the 1872 Mining Law’s claim-staking regime toward a discretionary leasing system with royalties, rentals, and agency permitting conditions — a substantive change in how critical minerals, copper, gold, and other hardrock resources are developed on federal land. The practical effects touch royalty revenue to the Treasury, permitting timelines, and environmental review posture for mining projects on acquired (as opposed to public-domain) lands.