Mining and Mineral Resources Institutes Act
Public Law 98–409, as amended
Mining and Mineral Resources Institutes Act
409
104–312
Statute Compilation
United States House of Representatives
Office of the Legislative Counsel
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Mining and Mineral Resources Institutes Act
17767
98
1984-08-29
Mining and Mineral Resources Institutes Act
[(Public Law 98–409)]
[As Amended Through P.L. 104–312, Enacted October 19, 1996]
[Currency: This publication is a compilation of the text of Public Law 98–409. It was last amended by the public law listed in the As Amended Through note above and below at the bottom of each page of the pdf version and reflects current law through the date of the enactment of the public law listed at https://www.govinfo.gov/app/collection/comps/]
[Note: While this publication does not represent an official version of any Federal statute, substantial efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy of its contents. The official version of Federal law is found in the United States Statutes at Large and in the United States Code. The legal effect to be given to the Statutes at Large and the United States Code is established by statute (1 U.S.C. 112, 204).]

AN ACT
To establish a State Mining and Mineral Resources Research Institute program, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

authorization of state allotments to institutes
Section 1.
[30 U.S.C. 1221]
(a)
(1)
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of the Interior (hereafter in this Act referred to as the “Secretary”) funds adequate to provide for each participating State $400,000 for each of the fiscal years ending September 30, 1990, through September 30,1994, to assist the States in carrying on the work of a competent and qualified mining and mineral resources research institute or center (hereafter in this Act referred to as the “institute”) at one public college or university in the State which meets the eligibility criteria established in section 10.
(2)
(A)
Funds appropriated under this section shall be made available for grants to be matched on a basis of no less than 2 non-Federal dollars for each Federal dollar.
(B)
If there is more than one such eligible college or university in a State, funds appropriated under this Act shall, in the absence of a designation to the contrary by act of the legislature of the State, be granted to one such college or university designated by the Governor of the State.
(C)
Where a State does not have a public college or university eligible under section 10, the Committee on Mining and Mineral Resources Research established in section 9 (hereafter in this Act referred to as the “Committee”) may allocate the State’s allotment to one private college or university which it determines to be eligible under such section.
(b)
It shall be the duty of each institute to plan and conduct, or arrange for a component or components of the college or university with which it is affiliated to conduct research, investigations, demonstrations, and experiments of either, or both, a basic or practical nature in relation to mining and mineral resources, and to provide for the training of mineral engineers and scientists through such research, investigations, demonstrations, and experiments. The subject of such research, investigation, demonstration, experiment, and training may include exploration; extraction; processing; development; production of fuel and nonfuel mineral resources; mining and mineral technology; supply and demand for minerals; conservation and best use of available supplies of minerals; the economic, legal, social, engineering, recreational, biological, geographic, ecological, and other aspects of mining, mineral resources, and mineral reclamation. Such research, investigation, demonstration, experiment, and training shall consider the interrelationship with the natural environment, the varying conditions and needs of the respective States, and mining and mineral resources research projects being conducted by agencies of the Federal and State governments and other institutes.

research funds to institutes
Sec. 2.
[30 U.S.C. 1222]
(a)
There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary not more than $15,000,000 for each of the fiscal years ending September 30, 1990, through September 30, 1994, which shall remain available until expended. Such funds when appropriated shall be made available to an institute or to institutes participating in a generic mineral technology center to meet the necessary expenses for purposes of—
(1)
specific mineral research and demonstration projects of broad application, which could not otherwise be undertaken, including the expenses of planning and coordinating regional mining and mineral resources research projects by two or more institutes; and
(2)
research into any aspects of mining and mineral resources problems related to the mission of the Department of the Interior, which are deemed by the Committee to be desirable and are not otherwise being studied.
There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary not more than $1,800,000 for each of the fiscal years after fiscal year 1996 to be made available by the Secretary to an institute or institutes experienced in investigating the continental shelf regions of the United States, the deep seabed and near shore environments of islands, and the Arctic and cold water regions as a source for nonfuel minerals. Such funds are to be used by the institute or institutes to assist in developing domestic technological capabilities required for the location of, and the efficient and environmentally sound recovery of, minerals (other than oil and gas) from the Nation's shallow and deep seabed.
(b)
Each application for funds under subsection (a) of this section shall state, among other things, the nature of the project to be undertaken; the period during which it will be pursued; the qualifications of the personnel who will direct and conduct it; the estimated costs; the importance of the project to the Nation, region, or State concerned; its relation to other known research projects theretofore pursued or being pursued; the extent to which the proposed project will provide opportunity for the training of mining and mineral engineers and scientists; and the extent of participation by nongovernmental sources in the project.
(c)
The Committee shall review all such funding applications and recommend to the Secretary the use of the institutes, insofar as practicable, to perform special research. Recommendations shall be made without regard to the race, religion, or sex of the personnel who will conduct and direct the research, and on the basis of the facilities available in relation to the particular needs of the research project; special geographic, geologic, or climatic conditions within the immediate vicinity of the institute, any other special requirements of the research project; and the extent to which such project will provide an opportunity for training individuals as mineral engineers and scientists. The Committee shall recommend to the Secretary the designation and utilization of such portions of the funds authorized to be appropriated by this section as it deems appropriate for the purpose of providing scholarships, graduate fellowships, and postdoctoral fellowships.
(d)
No funds shall be made available under subsection (a) of this section except for a project approved by the Secretary and all funds shall be made available upon the basis of merit of the project, the need for the knowledge which it is expected to produce when completed, and the opportunity it provides for the training of individuals as mineral engineers and scientists.
(e)
No funds made available under this section shall be applied to the acquisition by purchase or lease of any land or interests therein, or the rental, purchase, construction, preservation, or repair of any building.

funding criteria
Sec. 3.
[30 U.S.C. 1223]
(a)
Funds available to institutes under sections 1 and 2 of this act shall be paid at such times and in such amounts during each fiscal year as determined by the secretary, and upon vouchers approved by him. each institute shall—
(1)
set forth its plan to provide for the training of individuals as mineral engineers and scientists under a curriculum appropriate to the field of mineral resources and mineral engineering and related fields;
(2)
set forth policies and procedures which assure that Federal funds made available under this Act for any fiscal year will supplement and, to the extent practicable, increase the level of funds that would, in the absence of such Federal funds, be made available for purposes of this Act, and in no case supplant such funds; and
(3)
have an officer appointed by its governing authority who shall receive and account for all funds paid under the provisions of this Act and shall make an annual report to the Secretary on or before .the first day of September of each year, on work accomplished and the status of projects underway, together with a detailed statement of the amounts received under any provisions of this Act during the preceding fiscal year, and of its disbursements on schedules prescribed by the Secretary.
If any of the funds received by the authorized receiving officer of any institute under the provisions of this Act shall by any action or contingency be found by the Secretary to have been improperly diminished, lost, or misapplied, such funds shall be replaced by the State concerned and until so replaced no subsequent appropriation shall be allotted or paid to any institute of such State.
(b)
The institutes are authorized and encouraged to plan and conduct programs under this Act in cooperation with each other and with such other agencies and individuals as may contribute to the solution of the mining and mineral resources problems involved. Moneys appropriated pursuant to this Act shall be available for paying the necessary expenses of planning, coordinating, and conducting such cooperative research.

duties of the secretary
Sec. 4.
[30 U.S.C. 1224]
(a)
The Secretary, acting through the Director of the Bureau of Mines, shall administer this Act and, after full consultation with other interested Federal agencies, shall prescribe such rules and regulations as may be necessary to carry out its provisions. The Secretary shall furnish such advice and assistance as will best promote the purposes of this Act, shall participate in coordinating research initiated under this Act by the institutes, shall indicate to them such lines of inquiry that seem most important, and shall encourage and assist in the establishment and maintenance of cooperation by and between the institutes and between them and other research organizations, the United States Department of the Interior, and other Federal establishments.
(b)
On or before the first day of July in each year beginning after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall ascertain whether the requirements of section 3(a) have been met as to each institute and State.
(c)
The Secretary shall make an annual report to the Congress of the receipts, expenditures, and work of the institutes in all States under the provisions of this Act. The Secretary’s report shall indicate whether any portion of an appropriation available for allotment to any State has been withheld and, if so, the reason therefor.

autonomy
Sec. 5.
[30 U.S.C. 1225]
Nothing in this Act shall be construed to impair or modify the legal relationship existing between any of the colleges or universities under whose direction an institute is established and the government of the State in which it is located, and nothing in this Act shall in any way be construed to authorize Federal control or direction of education at any college or university.

miscellaneous provisions
Sec. 6.
[30 U.S.C. 1226]
(a)
The secretary shall obtain the continuing advice and cooperation of all agencies of the federal government concerned with mining and mineral resources, of state and local governments, and of private institutions and individuals to assure that the programs authorized by this act will supplement and not be redundant with respect to established mining and minerals research programs, and to stimulate research in otherwise neglected areas, and to contribute to a comprehensive nationwide program of mining and minerals research, with due regard for the protection and conservation of the environment. the secretary shall make generally available information and reports on projects completed, in progress, or planned under the provisions of this Act, in addition to any direct publication of information by the institutes themselves.
(b)
Nothing in this Act is intended to give or shall be construed as giving the Secretary any authority over mining and mineral resources research conducted by any agency of the Federal Government, or as repealing or diminishing existing authorities or responsibilities of any agency of the Federal Government to plan and conduct, contract for, or assist in research in its area of responsibility and concern with regard to mining and mineral resources.
(c)
No research, demonstration, or experiment shall be carried out under this Act by an institute financed by grants under this Act, unless all uses, products, processes, patents, and other developments Patents resulting therefrom, with such exception or limitation, if any, as the Secretary may find necessary in the public interest, are made available promptly to the general public. Patentable inventions shall be governed by the provisions of Public Law 96-517. Nothing contained in this section shall deprive the owner of any background patent relating to any such activities of any rights which that owner may have under that patent.
(d)
(1)
There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary $450,000 for each of the fiscal years ending September 30, 1990, through September 30, 1994, to administer this Act. No funds may be withheld by the Secretary for administrative expenses from those authorized to be appropriated by sections 1 and 2 of this Act.
(2)
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary such sums as are necessary for the printing and publishing of the results of activities carried out by institutes and generic mineral technology centers under this Act, but such appropriations shall not exceed $550,000 in any single fiscal year.

center for cataloging
Sec. 7.
[30 U.S.C. 1227]
The Secretary shall establish a center for cataloging current and projected scientific research in all fields of mining and mineral resources. Each Federal agency doing mining and mineral resources research shall cooperate by providing the cataloging center with information on work underway or scheduled by it. The cataloging center shall classify and maintain for public use a catalog of mining and mineral resources research and investigation projects in progress or scheduled by all Federal agencies and by such non Federal agencies of government, colleges, universities, private institutions, firms, and individuals as may make such information available.

interagency cooperation
Sec. 8.
[30 U.S.C. 1228]
The President shall, by such means as he deems appropriate, clarify agency responsibility for Federal mining and mineral resources research and provide for interagency coordination of such research, including the research authorized by this Act. Such coordination shall include—
(1)
continuing review of the adequacy of the Government-wide program in mining and mineral resources research;
(2)
identification and elimination of duplication and overlap between agency programs;
(3)
identification of technical needs in various mining and mineral resources research categories;
(4)
recommendations with respect to allocation of technical effort among Federal agencies;
(5)
review of technical manpower needs, and findings concerning management policies to improve the quality of the Government-wide research effort; and
(6)
actions to facilitate interagency communication at management levels.

committee
Sec. 9.
[30 U.S.C. 1229]
(a)
The Secretary shall appoint a committee on mining and mineral resources research composed of
(1)
the Assistant Secretary of the Interior responsible for minerals and mining research, or his delegate;
(2)
the Director, Bureau of Mines, or his delegate;
(3)
the Director, United States Geological Survey, or his delegate;
(4)
the Director of the National Science Foundation, or his delegate;
(5)
the President, National Academy of Sciences, or his delegate;
(6)
the President, National Academy of Engineering, or his delegate; and
(7)
not more than 7 other persons who are knowledgeable in the fields of mining and mineral resources research, including two university administrators involved in the conduct of programs authorized by the Act, 3 representatives from the mining industry, a working miner, and a representative from the conservation community. In making these 7 appointments, the Secretary shall consult with interested groups.
(b)
The Committee shall consult with, and make recommendations to, the Secretary on all matters relating to mining and mineral resources research and the determinations that are required to be made under this Act. The Secretary shall consult with, and consider recommendations of, such Committee in such matters.
(c)
Committee members, other than officers or employees of Federal, State, or local governments, shall be, for each day (including travel time) during which they are performing Committee business, paid at a rate fixed by the Secretary but not excess of the daily equivalent of the maximum rate of pay for grade GS-18 of the General Schedule under section 5332 of title 5 of the United States Code, and shall be fully reimbursed for travel, subsistence, and related expenses.
(d)
The Committee shall be jointly chaired by the Assistant Secretary of the Interior responsible for minerals and mining and a person to be elected by the Committee from among the members referred to in paragraphs (51, (61, and (7) of subsection (a) of this section.
(e)
The Committee shall develop a national plan for research in mining and mineral resources, considering ongoing efforts in the universities, the Federal Government, and the private sector, and shall formulate and recommend a program to implement the plan utilizing resources provided for under this Act. The Committee shall submit such plan to the Secretary, the President, and the Congress on or before March 1, 1986, and shall submit an annual update of such plan by January 15 of each calendar year.
(f)
Section 10 of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the Committee.

eligibility criteria
Sec. 10.
[30 U.S.C. 1230]
(a)
The committee shall determine the eligibility of a college or university to participate as a mining and mineral resources research institute under this act using criteria which include—
(1)
the presence of a substantial program of graduate instruction and research in mining or mineral extraction or closely related fields which has a demonstrated history of achievement;
(2)
evidence of institutional commitment for the purposes of this Act;
(3)
evidence that such institution has or can obtain significant industrial cooperation in activities within the scope of this Act; and
(4)
the presence of an engineering program in mining or minerals extraction that is accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, or evidence of equivalent institutional capability as determined by the Committee.
(b)
(1)
Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a), those colleges or universities which, on the date of' enactment of the Mining and Mineral Resources Research Institute Amendments of 1988, have a mining or mineral resources research institute program which has been found to be eligible pursuant to this Act shall continue to be eligible subject to review at least once during the period authorized by the Mining and Mineral Resources Research Institute Amendments of 1988, under the provisions of subsection (a). The results of such review shall be submitted by January 15, 1992, pursuant to section 11(a)(2) of the Mining and Mineral Resources Research Institute Amendments of 1988.
(2)
Generic mineral technology centers established by the Secretary under this Act are to be composed of institutes eligible pursuant to subsection (a). Existing generic mineral technology centers shall continue to be eligible under this Act subject to at least one review prior to January 15, 1992, pursuant to section 11(a)(3) of the Mining and Mineral Resources Research Institute Amendments of 1988.
SEC. 11.
[30 U.S.C. 1201 note]

SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “Mining and Mineral Resources Institutes Act”.
SEC. 12.
[30 U.S.C. 1230a]

STRATEGIC RESOURCES GENERIC MINERAL TECHNOLOGY CENTER.
(a)

Establishment
.—The Secretary of Interior is authorized and directed to establish a Strategic Resources Mineral Technology Center (hereinafter referred to as the “center”) for the purpose of improving existing, and developing new, technologies that will decrease the dependence of the United States on supplies of strategic and critical minerals.
(b)

Functions
.—The center shall—
(1)
provide for studies and technology development in the Research areas of mineral extraction and refining processes, product Science and substitution and conservation of mineral resources through recycling and advanced processing and fabrication methods;
(2)
identify new deposits of strategic and critical mineral resources; and
(3)
facilitate the transfer of information, studies, and technologies developed by the center to the private sector.
(c)

Criteria
.—The Secretary shall establish the center referred to in subsection (a) at a university that—
(1)
does not currently host a generic mineral technology center;
(2)
has established advanced degree programs in geology and geological engineering, and metallurgical and mining engineering;
(3)
has expertise in materials and advanced processing research; and
(4)
is located west of the 100th meridian.
(d)

Authorization of Appropriations
.—There is authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section.