[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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