BillTracking.org
Back to the feed

Home › US bills › H.R. 3872

United States

H.R. 3872

To amend the Mineral Leasing Act for Acquired Lands to make that Act applicable to hardrock minerals.

Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Natural Resources Committee · Rep. Pat Fallon (R-TX)

Official summary (Congressional Research Service, Reported to House): 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.

Reported by committee 17 September 2026

Record as of 17 September 2026 — the most recent action in the official record. Status can lag; each step below carries its own date.

  1. 17 September 2026 Reported by committee

    What's next: Floor scheduling (leadership decides if and when it gets a vote)

  2. 17 September 2026 Placed on calendar (Senate)
  3. 3 more actions
    1. 10 June 2026 Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
    2. 12 February 2026 Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 119-305.
    3. 16 December 2025 Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
  4. 15 December 2025 Passed House with amendment (voice vote)
  5. 4 more actions
    1. 15 December 2025 Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
    2. 15 December 2025 DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 3872.
    3. 15 December 2025 Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H5884-5885)
    4. 15 December 2025 Mr. Stauber moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
  6. 31 October 2025 Reported by committee
  7. 31 October 2025 Placed on calendar (House)
  8. 17 September 2025 Discharged from committee (House)
  9. 3 more actions
    1. 17 September 2025 Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Unanimous Consent.
    2. 17 September 2025 Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
    3. 3 September 2025 Subcommittee Hearings Held
  10. 2 July 2025 Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources
  11. 10 June 2025 Referred to committee
  12. 10 June 2025 Introduced in House
This path starts where the bill does — its first action in the official record. Routine procedural steps sit in the “more actions” rows above rather than on the main line.

Read the live feed — on the site or in the app Find it on Congress.gov (opens in a new tab) All US bills