What This Bill Does
This bill creates a program where the Secretary of Energy gives grants to mining schools to train the next generation of mining engineers and professionals. The bill also creates an advisory board to help select which schools receive grants and to oversee how the money is spent.
Who It Affects
Mining schools that teach mining, metallurgical, geological, or mineral engineering at accredited universities or at four-year public universities in states with significant mining industries. The Secretary of Energy and the Secretary of the Interior (through the United States Geological Survey director). Six people appointed to serve on the Mining Professional Development Advisory Board.
Key Provisions
• The Secretary of Energy must establish a grant program and award no more than 10 grants each year to mining schools to recruit students and support mining education (Sec. 2(c)(1) and Sec. 2(c)(2)).
• Schools receiving grants must use the money to recruit students and enhance programs related to mining technology, critical minerals, rare earth elements, reclamation technology, and reducing environmental impacts from mining (Sec. 2(c)(4)).
• A Mining Professional Development Advisory Board with six members must evaluate grant applications and recommend which schools should receive grants (Sec. 2(d)(1) and Sec. 2(d)(3)).
• The Secretary must select grant recipients to ensure geographic diversity so that different regions can develop expertise for their specific geology (Sec. 2(c)(2)(A)).
• The Secretary must award grants by the later of 180 days after the start of the fiscal year or 180 days after Congress passes the annual budget bill for the Department of Energy (Sec. 2(c)(2)(B)).
What Changes
Money will be available to mining schools for the first time through this competitive grant program. Schools can use these grants to recruit students and develop new programs in areas like critical mineral extraction, rare earth element refining, mining reclamation, and environmental protection technologies. An old law called the Mining and Mineral Resources Research Institute Act of 1984 is repealed and no longer in effect (Sec. 3).
Important Definitions
Mining industry: The search for and extraction, processing, refining, smelting, and processing of metal and nonmetal minerals found naturally in the earth.
Mining profession: Jobs directly involved in exploring, planning, and operating metal and nonmetal mining sites, including extraction, refining, and processing of mineral ores.
Mining school: Mining, metallurgical, geological, or mineral engineering programs accredited by engineering standards at universities, or geology or engineering programs at four-year public universities in states where mining contributed at least $2 billion to the state's economy in 2021.
118TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
S. 912
AN ACT
To require the Secretary of Energy to provide technology
grants to strengthen domestic mining education, and for
other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
2
2
† S 912 ES
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
1
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Technology Grants to
2
Strengthen Domestic Mining Education Act of 2023’’ or
3
the ‘‘Mining Schools Act of 2023’’.
4
SEC. 2. TECHNOLOGY GRANTS TO STRENGTHEN DOMESTIC
5
MINING EDUCATION.
6
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section:
7
(1) BOARD.—The term ‘‘Board’’ means the
8
Mining Professional Development Advisory Board
9
established by subsection (d)(1).
10
(2) MINING INDUSTRY.—The term ‘‘mining in-
11
dustry’’ means the mining industry of the United
12
States, consisting of the search for, and extraction,
13
beneficiation, refining, smelting, and processing of,
14
naturally occurring metal and nonmetal minerals
15
from the earth.
16
(3) MINING PROFESSION.—The term ‘‘mining
17
profession’’ means the body of jobs directly relevant
18
to—
19
(A) the exploration, planning, execution,
20
and remediation of metal and nonmetal mining
21
sites; and
22
(B) the extraction, including the separa-
23
tion, refining, alloying, smelting, concentration,
24
and processing, of mineral ores.
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(4) MINING
SCHOOL.—The term ‘‘mining
1
school’’ means—
2
(A) a mining, metallurgical, geological, or
3
mineral engineering program accredited by the
4
Accreditation Board for Engineering and Tech-
5
nology, Inc., that is located at an institution of
6
higher education (as defined in section 101 of
7
the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
8
1001)); or
9
(B) a geology or engineering program or
10
department that is located at a 4-year public in-
11
stitution of higher education (as so defined) lo-
12
cated in a State the gross domestic product of
13
which
in
2021
was
not
less
than
14
$2,000,000,000 in the combined categories of
15
‘‘Mining (except oil and gas)’’ and ‘‘Support ac-
16
tivities for mining’’, according to the Bureau of
17
Economic Analysis.
18
(5) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means
19
the Secretary of Energy.
20
(b) DOMESTIC MINING EDUCATION STRENGTHENING
21
PROGRAM.—The Secretary, in consultation with the Sec-
22
retary of the Interior (acting through the Director of the
23
United States Geological Survey), shall—
24
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† S 912 ES
(1) establish a grant program to strengthen do-
1
mestic mining education; and
2
(2) under the program established in paragraph
3
(1), award competitive grants to mining schools for
4
the purpose of recruiting and educating the next
5
generation of mining engineers and other qualified
6
professionals to meet the future energy and mineral
7
needs of the United States.
8
(c) GRANTS.—
9
(1) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out the grant
10
program established under subsection (b)(1), the
11
Secretary shall award not more than 10 grants each
12
year to mining schools.
13
(2) SELECTION REQUIREMENTS.—
14
(A) IN GENERAL.—To the maximum ex-
15
tent practicable, the Secretary shall select re-
16
cipients for grants under paragraph (1) to en-
17
sure geographic diversity among grant recipi-
18
ents to ensure that region-specific specialties
19
are developed for region-specific geology.
20
(B)
TIMELINE.—The
Secretary
shall
21
award the grants under paragraph (1) by not
22
later than the later of—
23
(i) the date that is 180 days after the
24
start of the applicable fiscal year; and
25
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† S 912 ES
(ii) the date that is 180 days after the
1
date on which the Act making full-year ap-
2
propriations for the Department of Energy
3
for the applicable fiscal year is enacted.
4
(3) RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE BOARD.—
5
(A) IN GENERAL.—In selecting recipients
6
for grants under paragraph (1) and deter-
7
mining the amount of each grant, the Sec-
8
retary, to the maximum extent practicable, shall
9
take into consideration the recommendations of
10
the Board under subparagraphs (A) and (B) of
11
subsection (d)(3).
12
(B) SELECTION STATEMENT.—In selecting
13
recipients for grants under paragraph (1), the
14
Secretary shall—
15
(i) in response to a recommendation
16
from the Board, submit to the Board a
17
statement that describes—
18
(I) whether the Secretary accepts
19
or rejects, in whole or in part, the rec-
20
ommendation of the Board; and
21
(II) the justification and ration-
22
ale for any rejection, in whole or in
23
part, of the recommendation of the
24
Board; and
25
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(ii) not later than 15 days after
1
awarding a grant for which the Board sub-
2
mitted a recommendation, publish the
3
statement submitted under clause (i) on
4
the Department of Energy website.
5
(4) USE OF FUNDS.—A mining school receiving
6
a grant under paragraph (1) shall use the grant
7
funds—
8
(A) to recruit students to the mining
9
school; and
10
(B) to enhance and support programs re-
11
lated to, as applicable—
12
(i) mining, mineral extraction effi-
13
ciency, and related processing technology;
14
(ii) emphasizing critical mineral and
15
rare earth element exploration, extraction,
16
and refining;
17
(iii) reclamation technology and prac-
18
tices for active mining operations;
19
(iv) the development of reprocessing
20
systems and technologies that facilitate
21
reclamation that fosters the recovery of re-
22
sources at abandoned mine sites;
23
(v) mineral extraction methods that
24
reduce environmental and human impacts;
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(vi) technologies to extract, refine,
1
separate, smelt, or produce minerals, in-
2
cluding rare earth elements;
3
(vii) reducing dependence on foreign
4
energy and mineral supplies through in-
5
creased domestic critical mineral produc-
6
tion;
7
(viii) enhancing the competitiveness of
8
United States energy and mineral tech-
9
nology exports;
10
(ix) the extraction or processing of co-
11
inciding
mineralization,
including
rare
12
earth elements, within coal, coal processing
13
byproduct, overburden, or coal residue;
14
(x) enhancing technologies and prac-
15
tices relating to mitigation of acid mine
16
drainage, reforestation, and revegetation in
17
the reclamation of land and water re-
18
sources adversely affected by mining;
19
(xi) enhancing exploration and charac-
20
terization of new or novel deposits, includ-
21
ing rare earth elements and critical min-
22
erals within phosphate rocks, uranium-
23
bearing deposits, and other nontraditional
24
sources;
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(xii) meeting challenges of extreme
1
mining conditions, such as deeper deposits
2
or offshore or cold region mining; and
3
(xiii) mineral economics, including
4
analysis of supply chains, future mineral
5
needs, and unconventional mining re-
6
sources.
7
(d) MINING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ADVI-
8
SORY BOARD.—
9
(1) IN GENERAL.—There is established an advi-
10
sory board, to be known as the ‘‘Mining Professional
11
Development Advisory Board’’.
12
(2) COMPOSITION.—The Board shall be com-
13
posed of 6 members, to be appointed by the Sec-
14
retary not later than 180 days after the date of en-
15
actment of this Act, of whom—
16
(A) 3 shall be individuals who are actively
17
working in the mining profession and for the
18
mining industry; and
19
(B) 3 shall have experience in academia
20
implementing and operating professional skills
21
training and education programs in the mining
22
sector.
23
(3) DUTIES.—The Board shall—
24
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† S 912 ES
(A) evaluate grant applications received
1
under subsection (c) and make recommenda-
2
tions to the Secretary for selection of grant re-
3
cipients under that subsection;
4
(B) propose the amount of the grant for
5
each applicant recommended to be selected
6
under subparagraph (A); and
7
(C) perform oversight to ensure that grant
8
funds awarded under subsection (c) are used
9
for the purposes described in paragraph (4) of
10
that subsection.
11
(4) TERM.—A member of the Board shall serve
12
for a term of 4 years.
13
(5) VACANCIES.—A vacancy on the Board—
14
(A) shall not affect the powers of the
15
Board; and
16
(B) shall be filled in the same manner as
17
the original appointment was made by not later
18
than 180 days after the date on which the va-
19
cancy occurs.
20
(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is
21
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section
22
$10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 through 2031.
23
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SEC. 3. REPEAL OF THE MINING AND MINERAL RESOURCES
1
RESEARCH INSTITUTE ACT OF 1984.
2
The Mining and Mineral Resources Research Insti-
3
tute Act of 1984 (30 U.S.C. 1221 et seq.) is repealed.
4
Passed the Senate July 10, 2024.
Attest:
Secretary.
118TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
S. 912
AN ACT
To require the Secretary of Energy to provide tech-
nology grants to strengthen domestic mining edu-
cation, and for other purposes.