[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 114 (Wednesday, July 10, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4337-S4338]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
MINING SCHOOLS ACT OF 2023
The bill (S. 912) to require the Secretary of Energy to provide
technology grants to strengthen domestic mining education, and for
other purposes, was passed as follows:
S. 912
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Technology Grants to
Strengthen Domestic Mining Education Act of 2023'' or the
``Mining Schools Act of 2023''.
SEC. 2. TECHNOLOGY GRANTS TO STRENGTHEN DOMESTIC MINING
EDUCATION.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Board.--The term ``Board'' means the Mining
Professional Development Advisory Board established by
subsection (d)(1).
(2) Mining industry.--The term ``mining industry'' means
the mining industry of the United States, consisting of the
search for, and extraction, beneficiation, refining,
smelting, and processing of, naturally occurring metal and
nonmetal minerals from the earth.
(3) Mining profession.--The term ``mining profession''
means the body of jobs directly relevant to--
(A) the exploration, planning, execution, and remediation
of metal and nonmetal mining sites; and
(B) the extraction, including the separation, refining,
alloying, smelting, concentration, and processing, of mineral
ores.
(4) Mining school.--The term ``mining school'' means--
(A) a mining, metallurgical, geological, or mineral
engineering program accredited by the Accreditation Board for
Engineering and Technology, Inc., that is located at an
institution of higher education (as defined in section 101 of
the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)); or
(B) a geology or engineering program or department that is
located at a 4-year public institution of higher education
(as so defined) located in a State the gross domestic product
of which in 2021 was not less than $2,000,000,000 in the
combined categories of ``Mining (except oil and gas)'' and
``Support activities for mining'', according to the Bureau of
Economic Analysis.
(5) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Energy.
(b) Domestic Mining Education Strengthening Program.--The
Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of the Interior
(acting through the Director of the United States Geological
Survey), shall--
(1) establish a grant program to strengthen domestic mining
education; and
[[Page S4338]]
(2) under the program established in paragraph (1), award
competitive grants to mining schools for the purpose of
recruiting and educating the next generation of mining
engineers and other qualified professionals to meet the
future energy and mineral needs of the United States.
(c) Grants.--
(1) In general.--In carrying out the grant program
established under subsection (b)(1), the Secretary shall
award not more than 10 grants each year to mining schools.
(2) Selection requirements.--
(A) In general.--To the maximum extent practicable, the
Secretary shall select recipients for grants under paragraph
(1) to ensure geographic diversity among grant recipients to
ensure that region-specific specialties are developed for
region-specific geology.
(B) Timeline.--The Secretary shall award the grants under
paragraph (1) by not later than the later of--
(i) the date that is 180 days after the start of the
applicable fiscal year; and
(ii) the date that is 180 days after the date on which the
Act making full-year appropriations for the Department of
Energy for the applicable fiscal year is enacted.
(3) Recommendations of the board.--
(A) In general.--In selecting recipients for grants under
paragraph (1) and determining the amount of each grant, the
Secretary, to the maximum extent practicable, shall take into
consideration the recommendations of the Board under
subparagraphs (A) and (B) of subsection (d)(3).
(B) Selection statement.--In selecting recipients for
grants under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall--
(i) in response to a recommendation from the Board, submit
to the Board a statement that describes--
(I) whether the Secretary accepts or rejects, in whole or
in part, the recommendation of the Board; and
(II) the justification and rationale for any rejection, in
whole or in part, of the recommendation of the Board; and
(ii) not later than 15 days after awarding a grant for
which the Board submitted a recommendation, publish the
statement submitted under clause (i) on the Department of
Energy website.
(4) Use of funds.--A mining school receiving a grant under
paragraph (1) shall use the grant funds--
(A) to recruit students to the mining school; and
(B) to enhance and support programs related to, as
applicable--
(i) mining, mineral extraction efficiency, and related
processing technology;
(ii) emphasizing critical mineral and rare earth element
exploration, extraction, and refining;
(iii) reclamation technology and practices for active
mining operations;
(iv) the development of reprocessing systems and
technologies that facilitate reclamation that fosters the
recovery of resources at abandoned mine sites;
(v) mineral extraction methods that reduce environmental
and human impacts;
(vi) technologies to extract, refine, separate, smelt, or
produce minerals, including rare earth elements;
(vii) reducing dependence on foreign energy and mineral
supplies through increased domestic critical mineral
production;
(viii) enhancing the competitiveness of United States
energy and mineral technology exports;
(ix) the extraction or processing of coinciding
mineralization, including rare earth elements, within coal,
coal processing byproduct, overburden, or coal residue;
(x) enhancing technologies and practices relating to
mitigation of acid mine drainage, reforestation, and
revegetation in the reclamation of land and water resources
adversely affected by mining;
(xi) enhancing exploration and characterization of new or
novel deposits, including rare earth elements and critical
minerals within phosphate rocks, uranium-bearing deposits,
and other nontraditional sources;
(xii) meeting challenges of extreme mining conditions, such
as deeper deposits or offshore or cold region mining; and
(xiii) mineral economics, including analysis of supply
chains, future mineral needs, and unconventional mining
resources.
(d) Mining Professional Development Advisory Board.--
(1) In general.--There is established an advisory board, to
be known as the ``Mining Professional Development Advisory
Board''.
(2) Composition.--The Board shall be composed of 6 members,
to be appointed by the Secretary not later than 180 days
after the date of enactment of this Act, of whom--
(A) 3 shall be individuals who are actively working in the
mining profession and for the mining industry; and
(B) 3 shall have experience in academia implementing and
operating professional skills training and education programs
in the mining sector.
(3) Duties.--The Board shall--
(A) evaluate grant applications received under subsection
(c) and make recommendations to the Secretary for selection
of grant recipients under that subsection;
(B) propose the amount of the grant for each applicant
recommended to be selected under subparagraph (A); and
(C) perform oversight to ensure that grant funds awarded
under subsection (c) are used for the purposes described in
paragraph (4) of that subsection.
(4) Term.--A member of the Board shall serve for a term of
4 years.
(5) Vacancies.--A vacancy on the Board--
(A) shall not affect the powers of the Board; and
(B) shall be filled in the same manner as the original
appointment was made by not later than 180 days after the
date on which the vacancy occurs.
(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated to carry out this section $10,000,000 for
each of fiscal years 2024 through 2031.
SEC. 3. REPEAL OF THE MINING AND MINERAL RESOURCES RESEARCH
INSTITUTE ACT OF 1984.
The Mining and Mineral Resources Research Institute Act of
1984 (30 U.S.C. 1221 et seq.) is repealed.
Mr. WELCH. I further ask that the motions to reconsider be considered
made and laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, all
en bloc.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
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