S. 859, introduced in March 2025, comprehensively reforms hardrock mining on federal lands by ending new mining patents, imposing strict financial and environmental requirements on operators, and establishing robust federal oversight. The bill eliminates future mining patents (capping them at those filed before September 30, 1994), requires annual maintenance fees ($200 for existing claims, $50 for new ones), institutes a 5–8% royalty on mining income, and mandates exploration and operating permits demonstrating environmental safeguards such as acid mine drainage prevention. Mining operators must post reclamation bonds, conduct contemporaneous land restoration, pay annual production-based reclamation fees (1–3% of mining value), and face quarterly federal inspections and significant civil penalties ($500–$25,000 per day) for violations, while a new Hardrock Minerals Reclamation Fund—funded by royalties and fees—will finance abandoned mine cleanup. Existing operations have 10 years to comply with most requirements, though fees apply immediately, and the bill directs a study on uranium mining and mandates meaningful consultation with Native American tribes on mineral activities affecting tribal lands.
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