Bond Improvement and Reclamation Assurance Act of 2026

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [H.R. 7249 Introduced in House (IH)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 7249 To amend the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 to establish additional considerations with regard to the adequacy of permit performance bonds, and for other purposes. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES January 27, 2026 Mr. Deluzio (for himself, Ms. Lee of Pennsylvania, and Mr. Beyer) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To amend the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 to establish additional considerations with regard to the adequacy of permit performance bonds, and for other purposes. 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 ``Bond Improvement and Reclamation Assurance Act of 2026''. SEC. 2. SURFACE MINING CONTROL AND RECLAMATION ACT OF 1977 REFORM. (a) Permit Performance Bonds.--Section 509 of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (30 U.S.C. 1259) is amended-- (1) in subsection (a), to read as follows: ``(a)(1) After a surface coal mining and reclamation permit application has been approved but before such a permit is issued, the applicant shall file with the regulatory authority, on a form prescribed and furnished by the regulatory authority, a bond for performance payable, as appropriate, to the United States or to the State, and conditional upon faithful performance of all the requirements of this Act and the permit. ``(2) The bond shall cover that area of land within the permit area upon which the operator will initiate and conduct surface coal mining and reclamation operations within the initial term of the permit. ``(3) As succeeding