30 U.S.C. § 1607 — Critical minerals supply chains and reli-

Page 359 TITLE 30—MINERAL LANDS AND MINING § 1607 program under which institutions of higher education may apply for and receive 4-year grants for— (i) startup costs for newly designated faculty positions in integrated critical mineral education, research, innovation, training, and workforce development pro- grams consistent with paragraph (2); (ii) internships, scholarships, and fellow- ships for students enrolled in programs re- lated to critical minerals; (iii) equipment necessary for integrated critical mineral innovation, training, and workforce development programs; and (iv) research of critical minerals and their applications, particularly concerning the manufacture of critical components vital to national security. (B) Renewal A grant under this paragraph shall be re- newable for up to 2 additional 3-year terms based on performance criteria outlined under paragraph (2)(A)(iv). (l), (m) Omitted (n) Administration (1), (2) Omitted (3) Savings clauses (A) In general Nothing in this section or an amendment made by this section modifies any require- ment or authority provided by— (i) the matter under the heading ‘‘geo- logical survey’’ of the first section of the Act of March 3, 1879 (43 U.S.C. 31(a)); or (ii) the first section of Public Law 87–626 (43 U.S.C. 31(b)). (B) Effect on Department of Defense Nothing in this section or an amendment made by this section affects the authority of the Secretary of Defense with respect to the work of the Department of Defense on crit- ical material supplies in furtherance of the national defense mission of the Department of Defense. (C) Secretarial order not affected This section shall not apply to any min- eral described in Secretarial Order No. 3324, issued by the Secretary on December 3, 2012, in any area to which the order applies. (o) Authorization of appropriations There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2029. (Pub. L. 116–260, div. Z, title VII, § 7002, Dec. 27, 2020, 134 Stat. 2562; Pub. L. 118–233, § 2, Jan. 4, 2025, 138 Stat. 2835.) Editorial Notes REFERENCES IN TEXT An amendment made by this section, referred to in subsec. (n)(3)(A), (B), means an amendment made by subsec. (b), (l), (m), or (n)(1) and (2) of this section which are omitted from text. See Codification note below. CODIFICATION Section was enacted as part of the Energy Act of 2020, and not as part of the National Materials and Minerals Policy, Research and Development Act of 1980 which comprises this chapter. Section is comprised of section 7002 of div. Z of Pub. L. 116–260. Subsec. (b) of section 7002 amended sections 1601 and 1602 of this title. Subsec. (l) of section 7002 amended section 15908 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare. Subsec. (m) of section 7002 amended sec- tions 1602 to 1604 of this title. Subsec. (n)(1) of section 7002 repealed chapter 30 (§ 1801 et seq.) of this title. Sub- sec. (n)(2) of section 7002 amended section 5202 of Title 15, Commerce and Trade. AMENDMENTS 2025—Subsec. (c)(4)(C), (5)(A). Pub. L. 118–233 inserted ‘‘Health and Human Services,’’ after ‘‘Agriculture,’’. Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PRIORITIES Pub. L. 117–81, div. A, title VIII, § 845, Dec. 27, 2021, 135 Stat. 1842, provided that: ‘‘The Secretary of Defense shall cooperate with the Secretary of Energy to ensure that the priorities of the Department of Defense with respect to the research and development of alternative technologies to, and methods for the extraction, proc- essing, and recycling of, critical minerals (as defined in section 2(b) of the National Materials and Minerals Pol- icy, Research, and Development Act of 1980 (30 U.S.C. 1601(b))) are considered and included where feasible in the associated research and development activities funded by the Secretary of Energy pursuant to the pro- gram established under paragraph [probably should be ‘‘subsection’’] (g) of section 7002 of division Z of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Public Law 116–260) [30 U.S.C. 1606(g)].’’ § 1607. Critical minerals supply chains and reli- ability (a) Definition of critical mineral In this section, the term ‘‘critical mineral’’ has the meaning given the term in section 1606(a) of this title. (b) Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that— (1) critical minerals are fundamental to the economy, competitiveness, and security of the United States; (2) many critical minerals are only economic to recover when combined with the production of a host mineral; (3) to the maximum extent practicable, the critical mineral needs of the United States should be satisfied by minerals responsibly produced and recycled in the United States; and (4) the Federal permitting process has been identified as an impediment to mineral pro- duction and the mineral security of the United States. (c) Federal permitting and review performance improvements To improve the quality and timeliness of Fed- eral permitting and review processes with re- spect to critical mineral production on Federal land, the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the Bureau of Land Management, and the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service (referred to in this section as the ‘‘Secretaries’’), to the maximum extent practicable, shall com- plete the Federal permitting and review proc- Page 360 TITLE 30—MINERAL LANDS AND MINING § 1607 esses with maximum efficiency and effective- ness, while supporting vital economic growth, by— (1) establishing and adhering to timelines and schedules for the consideration of, and final decisions regarding, applications, oper- ating plans, leases, licenses, permits, and other use authorizations for critical mineral- related activities on Federal land; (2) establishing clear, quantifiable, and tem- poral permitting performance goals and track- ing progress against those goals; (3) engaging in early collaboration among agencies, project sponsors, and affected stake- holders— (A) to incorporate and address the inter- ests of those parties; and (B) to minimize delays; (4) ensuring transparency and accountability by using cost-effective information technology to collect and disseminate information regard- ing individual projects and agency perform- ance; (5) engaging in early and active consultation with State, local, and Tribal governments— (A) to avoid conflicts or duplication of ef- fort; (B) to resolve concerns; and (C) to allow for concurrent, rather than se- quential, reviews; (6) providing demonstrable improvements in the performance of Federal permitting and re- view processes, including lower costs and more timely decisions; (7) expanding and institutionalizing Federal permitting and review process improvements that have proven effective; (8) developing mechanisms to better commu- nicate priorities and resolve disputes among agencies at the national, regional, State, and local levels; and (9) developing other practices, such as preapplication procedures. (d) Review and report Not later than 1 year after November 15, 2021, the Secretaries shall submit to Congress a re- port that— (1) identifies additional measures, including regulatory and legislative proposals, if appro- priate, that would increase the timeliness of permitting activities for the exploration and development of domestic critical minerals; (2) identifies options, including cost recov- ery paid by permit applicants, for ensuring adequate staffing and training of Federal enti- ties and personnel responsible for the consid- eration of applications, operating plans, leases, licenses, permits, and other use author- izations for critical mineral-related activities on Federal land; (3) quantifies the period of time typically re- quired to complete each step associated with the development and processing of applica- tions, operating plans, leases, licenses, per- mits, and other use authorizations for critical mineral-related activities on Federal land, in- cluding by— (A) calculating the range, the mean, the median, the variance, and other statistical measures or representations of the period of time; and (B) taking into account other aspects that affect the period of time that are outside the control of the Executive branch, such as ju- dicial review, applicant decisions, or State and local government involvement; and (4) describes actions carried out pursuant to subsection (c). (e) Performance metric Not later than 90 days after the date of sub- mission of the report under subsection (d), and after providing public notice and an opportunity to comment, the Secretaries, using as a baseline the period of time quantified under paragraph (3) of that subsection, shall develop and publish a performance metric for evaluating the progress made by the Executive branch to expe- dite the permitting of activities that will in- crease exploration for, and development of, do- mestic critical minerals, while maintaining en- vironmental standards. (f) Annual reports Not later than the date on which the President submits the first budget of the President under section 1105 of title 31, after publication of the performance metric required under subsection (e), and annually thereafter, the Secretaries shall submit to Congress a report that— (1) summarizes the implementation of rec- ommendations, measures, and options identi- fied in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (d); (2) using the performance metric developed under subsection (e), describes progress made by the Executive branch, as compared to the baseline developed pursuant to subsection (d)(3), in expediting the permitting of activi- ties that will increase exploration for, and de- velopment of, domestic critical minerals; and (3) compares the United States to other countries in terms of permitting efficiency and any other criteria relevant to the globally competitive critical minerals industry. (g) Individual projects Each year, using data contained in the reports submitted under subsection (f), the Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall prioritize inclusion of individual critical min- eral projects on the website operated by the Of- fice of Management and Budget in accordance with section 1122 of title 31. (Pub. L. 117–58, div. D, title II, § 40206, Nov. 15, 2021, 135 Stat. 961.) Editorial Notes CODIFICATION Section was enacted as part of the Infrastructure In- vestment and Jobs Act, and not as part of the National Materials and Minerals Policy, Research and Develop- ment Act of 1980 which comprises this chapter. Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries WAGE RATE REQUIREMENTS For provisions relating to rates of wages to be paid to laborers and mechanics on projects for construction, alteration, or repair work funded under div. D or an amendment by div. D of Pub. L. 117–58, including au- Page 361 TITLE 30—MINERAL LANDS AND MINING § 1701 thority of Secretary of Labor, see section 18851 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare. CHAPTER 29—OIL AND GAS ROYALTY MANAGEMENT Sec. 1701. Congressional statement of findings and pur- poses. 1702. Definitions. SUBCHAPTER I—FEDERAL ROYALTY MANAGEMENT AND ENFORCEMENT 1711. Duties of Secretary. 1712. Duties of lessees, operators, and motor vehi- cle transporters. 1713. Required recordkeeping. 1714. Deposit of royalty funds to Indian accounts. 1715. Explanation of payments. 1716. Liabilities and bonding. 1717. Hearings and investigations. 1718. Inspections. 1719. Civil penalties. 1720. Criminal penalties. 1720a. Applicability of civil and criminal penalties to various uses of Federal or Indian lands and Outer Continental Shelf. 1721. Royalty terms and conditions, interest, and penalties. 1721a. Adjustments and refunds. 1722. Injunction and specific enforcement author- ity. 1723. Rewards. 1724. Secretarial and delegated States’ actions and limitation periods. 1725. Assessments. 1726. Alternatives for marginal properties. 1727. Royalties on all extracted methane. SUBCHAPTER II—STATES AND INDIAN TRIBES 1731. Application of subchapter. 1731a. Application of subchapter to leases of lands within three miles of seaward boundaries of coastal States. 1732. Cooperative agreements. 1733. Information. 1734. State suits under Federal law. 1735. Delegation of royalty collections and related activities. 1736. Shared civil penalties. SUBCHAPTER III—GENERAL PROVISIONS 1751. Secretarial authority. 1752. Reports. 1753. Relation to other laws. 1754. Funding. 1755. Statute of limitations. 1756. Expanded royalty obligations. 1757. Severability. 1758. Use of royalty-in-kind revenue by Minerals Management Service. 1759. Fees and charges. § 1701. Congressional statement of findings and purposes (a) Congress finds that— (1) the Secretary of the Interior should en- force effectively and uniformly existing regu- lations under the mineral leasing laws pro- viding for the inspection of production activi- ties on lease sites on Federal and Indian lands; (2) the system of accounting with respect to royalties and other payments due and owing on oil and gas produced from such lease sites is archaic and inadequate; (3) it is essential that the Secretary initiate procedures to improve methods of accounting for such royalties and payments and to pro- vide for routine inspection of activities related to the production of oil and gas on such lease sites; and (4) the Secretary should aggressively carry out his trust responsibility in the administra- tion of Indian oil and gas. (b) It is the purpose of this chapter— (1) to clarify, reaffirm, expand, and define the responsibilities and obligations of lessees, operators, and other persons involved in trans- portation or sale of oil and gas from the Fed- eral and Indian lands and the Outer Conti- nental Shelf; (2) to clarify, reaffirm, expand and define the authorities and responsibilities of the Sec- retary of the Interior to implement and main- tain a royalty management system for oil and gas leases on Federal lands, Indian lands, and the Outer Continental Shelf; (3) to require the development of enforce- ment practices that ensure the prompt and proper collection and disbursement of oil and gas revenues owed to the United States and In- dian lessors and those inuring to the benefit of States; (4) to fulfill the trust responsibility of the United States for the administration of Indian oil and gas resources; and (5) to effectively utilize the capabilities of the States and Indian tribes in developing and maintaining an efficient and effective Federal royalty management system. (Pub. L. 97–451, § 2, Jan. 12, 1983, 96 Stat. 2448.) Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries EFFECTIVE DATE OF 1996 AMENDMENT Pub. L. 104–185, § 11, Aug. 13, 1996, 110 Stat. 1717, pro- vided that: ‘‘Except as provided by section 115(h) [30 U.S.C. 1724(h)], section 111(h) [30 U.S.C. 1721(h)], section 111(k)(5) [30 U.S.C. 1721(k)(5)], and section 117 [30 U.S.C. 1726] of the Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Management Act of 1982 (as added by this Act), this Act [see Short Title of 1996 Amendment note below], and the amend- ments made by this Act, shall apply with respect to the production of oil and gas after the first day of the month following the date of the enactment of this Act [Aug. 13, 1996].’’ EFFECTIVE DATE Pub. L. 97–451, title III, § 305, Jan. 12, 1983, 96 Stat. 2461, provided that: ‘‘The provisions of this Act [enact- ing this chapter, amending sections 188 and 191 of this title, and enacting provisions set out as notes under this section and sections 1714 and 1752 of this title] shall apply to oil and gas leases issued before, on, or after the date of the enactment of this Act [Jan. 12, 1983], except that in the case of a lease issued before such date, no provision of this Act or any rule or regu- lation prescribed under this Act shall alter the express and specific provisions of such a lease.’’ SHORT TITLE OF 2024 AMENDMENT Pub. L. 118–81, § 1, Sept. 20, 2024, 138 Stat. 1520, pro- vided that: ‘‘This Act [amending section 1721 of this title] may be cited as the ‘Royalty Resiliency Act’.’’ SHORT TITLE OF 1996 AMENDMENT Pub. L. 104–185, § 1, Aug. 13, 1996, 110 Stat. 1700, pro- vided that: ‘‘This Act [enacting sections 1721a and 1724 to 1726 of this title, amending sections 1702, 1712, 1721, and 1735 of this title, repealing section 1339 of Title 43, Public Lands, and enacting provisions set out as notes