---
kind: "section"
citation: "30 U.S.C. § 1231a"
title: "30"
title_heading: "Mineral Lands and Mining"
number: "1231a"
heading: "Abandoned mine reclamation fund authorization of appropriations"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/30/1231a"
units:
  - "Chapter 25 — Surface Mining Control and Reclamation"
  - "Subchapter IV — Abandoned Mine Reclamations"
---

# §1231a. Abandoned mine reclamation fund authorization of appropriations

- (a) **In general—** There is authorized to be appropriated, for deposit into the Abandoned Mine Reclamation [Fund](/usc/30/1291.md?p=7) established by [section 401(a)](/usc/30/401.md) of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 ([30 U.S.C. 1231(a)](/usc/30/1231.md?p=a)) $11,293,000,000 for fiscal year 2022, to remain available until expended.
- (b) **Use of funds—**
  - (1) **In general—** Subject to [subsection (g)](#g), amounts made available under [subsection (a)](#a) shall be used to provide, as expeditiously as practicable, to [States](/usc/30/1291.md?p=24) and [Indian Tribes](/usc/30/1291.md?p=10) described in [paragraph (2)](#b-2) annual grants for abandoned mine land and water reclamation projects under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 ([30 U.S.C. 1201](/usc/30/1201.md) et seq.).
  - (2) **Eligible grant recipients—** Grants may be made under [paragraph (1)](#b-1) to—
    - (A) [States](/usc/30/1291.md?p=24) and [Indian Tribes](/usc/30/1291.md?p=10) that have a [State](/usc/30/1291.md?p=24) or Tribal program approved under section 405 of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 ([30 U.S.C. 1235](/usc/30/1235.md));
    - (B) [States](/usc/30/1291.md?p=24) and [Indian Tribes](/usc/30/1291.md?p=10) that are certified under [section 411(a)](/usc/30/411.md) of that Act ([30 U.S.C. 1240a(a)](/usc/30/1240a.md?p=a)); and
    - (C) [States](/usc/30/1291.md?p=24) and [Indian Tribes](/usc/30/1291.md?p=10) that are referred to in [section 402(g)(8)(B)](/usc/30/402.md) of that Act ([30 U.S.C. 1232(g)(8)(B)](/usc/30/1232.md?p=g-8-B)).
  - (3) **Contract aggregation—** In applying for grants under [paragraph (1)](#b-1), [States](/usc/30/1291.md?p=24) and [Indian Tribes](/usc/30/1291.md?p=10) may aggregate bids into larger statewide or regional contracts.
- (c) **Covered activities—**
  - (1) **In general—** Except as provided in [paragraph (2)](#c-2), grants under [subsection (b)(1)](#b-1) shall only be used for activities described in subsections [(a)](/usc/30/403.md) and [(b)](/usc/30/403.md) of section 403 and section 410 of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 ([30 U.S.C. 1233](/usc/30/1233.md), 1240).
  - (2) **Long-term abandoned mine land reclamation—**
    - (A) **In general—** Not more than 30 percent of the total amount of a grant made annually under [subsection (b)(1)](#b-1) may be retained by the recipient of the grant if those amounts are deposited into a long-term abandoned mine land reclamation [fund](/usc/30/1291.md?p=7) established under [State](/usc/30/1291.md?p=24) law, from which amounts (together with all interest earned on the amounts) are expended by the [State](/usc/30/1291.md?p=24) or [Indian Tribe](/usc/30/1291.md?p=10), as applicable, for—
      - (i) the abatement of the causes and the treatment of the effects of acid mine drainage resulting from coal mining practices, including for the costs of building, operating, maintaining, and rehabilitating acid mine drainage treatment systems;
      - (ii) the prevention, abatement, and control of subsidence; or
      - (iii) the prevention, abatement, and control of coal mine fires.
    - (B) **Reporting requirements—** Each recipient of a grant under [subsection (b)(1)](#b-1) that deposits grant amounts into a long-term abandoned mine land reclamation [fund](/usc/30/1291.md?p=7) under [subparagraph (A)](#c-2-A) shall—
      - (i) offer amendments to the inventory maintained under [section 403(c)](/usc/30/403.md) of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 ([30 U.S.C. 1233(c)](/usc/30/1233.md?p=c)) to reflect the use of the amounts for—
        - (I) acid mine drainage abatement and treatment;
        - (II) subsidence prevention, abatement, and control; and
        - (III) coal mine fire prevention, abatement, and control; and
      - (ii) include in the annual grant report of the recipient information on the status and balance of amounts in the long-term abandoned mine land reclamation [fund](/usc/30/1291.md?p=7).
    - (C) **Term—** Amounts retained under [subparagraph (A)](#c-2-A) shall not be subject to—
      - (i) [subsection (d)(4)(B)](#d-4-B); or
      - (ii) any other limitation on the length of the term of an annual grant under [subsection (b)(1)](#b-1).
- (d) **Allocation—**
  - (1) **In general—** Subject to [subsection (e)](#e), the [Secretary](/usc/30/1291.md?p=23) of the Interior shall allocate and distribute amounts made available for grants under [subsection (b)(1)](#b-1) to [States](/usc/30/1291.md?p=24) and [Indian Tribes](/usc/30/1291.md?p=10) on an equal annual basis over a 15-year period beginning on November 15, 2021, based on the number of tons of coal historically produced in the [States](/usc/30/1291.md?p=24) or from the applicable Indian land before August 3, 1977, regardless of whether the [State](/usc/30/1291.md?p=24) or [Indian Tribe](/usc/30/1291.md?p=10) is certified under [section 411(a)](/usc/30/411.md) of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 ([30 U.S.C. 1240a(a)](/usc/30/1240a.md?p=a)).
  - (2) **Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act exception—** [Section 401(f)(3)(B)](/usc/30/401.md) of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 ([30 U.S.C. 1231(f)(3)(B)](/usc/30/1231.md?p=f-3-B)) shall not apply to grant [funds](/usc/30/1291.md?p=7) distributed under [subsection (b)(1)](#b-1).
  - (3) **Report to Congress on allocations—**
    - (A) **In general—** Not later than 6 years after the date on which the first allocation to [States](/usc/30/1291.md?p=24) and [Indian Tribes](/usc/30/1291.md?p=10) is made under [paragraph (1)](#d-1), the [Secretary](/usc/30/1291.md?p=23) of the Interior shall submit to Congress a report that describes any progress made under this section in addressing outstanding reclamation needs under subsection [(a)](/usc/30/403.md) or [(b)](/usc/30/403.md) of section 403 or section 410 of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation and[^1] Act of 1977 ([30 U.S.C. 1233](/usc/30/1233.md), 1240).
    - (B) **Input—** The [Secretary](/usc/30/1291.md?p=23) of the Interior shall—
      - (i) prior to submitting the report under [subparagraph (A)](#d-3-A), solicit the input of the [States](/usc/30/1291.md?p=24) and [Indian Tribes](/usc/30/1291.md?p=10) regarding the progress referred to in that subparagraph; and
      - (ii) include in the report submitted to Congress under that subparagraph a description of any input received under [clause (i)](#d-3-B-i).
  - (4) **Redistribution of funds—**
    - (A) **Evaluation—** Not later than 20 years after November 15, 2021, the [Secretary](/usc/30/1291.md?p=23) of the Interior shall evaluate grant payments to [States](/usc/30/1291.md?p=24) and [Indian Tribes](/usc/30/1291.md?p=10) made under this section.
    - (B) **Unused funds—** On completion of the evaluation under [subparagraph (A)](#d-4-A), [States](/usc/30/1291.md?p=24) and [Indian Tribes](/usc/30/1291.md?p=10) shall return any unused [funds](/usc/30/1291.md?p=7) under this section to the Abandoned Mine Reclamation [Fund](/usc/30/1291.md?p=7).
- (e) **Total amount of grant—** The total amount of grant funding provided under [subsection (b)(1)](#b-1) to an eligible [State](/usc/30/1291.md?p=24) or [Indian Tribe](/usc/30/1291.md?p=10) shall be not less than $20,000,000, to the extent that the amount needed for reclamation projects described in that subsection on the land of the [State](/usc/30/1291.md?p=24) or [Indian Tribe](/usc/30/1291.md?p=10) is not less than $20,000,000.
- (f) **Priority—** In addition to the priorities described in [section 403(a)](/usc/30/403.md) of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 ([30 U.S.C. 1233(a)](/usc/30/1233.md?p=a)), in providing grants under this section, priority may also be given to reclamation projects described in [subsection (b)(1)](#b-1) that provide employment for current and former employees of the coal industry.
- (g) **Reservation—** Of the [funds](/usc/30/1291.md?p=7) made available under [subsection (a)](#a), $25,000,000 shall be made available to the [Secretary](/usc/30/1291.md?p=23) of the Interior to provide [States](/usc/30/1291.md?p=24) and [Indian Tribes](/usc/30/1291.md?p=10) with the financial and technical assistance necessary for the purpose of making amendments to the inventory maintained under [section 403(c)](/usc/30/403.md) of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 ([30 U.S.C. 1233(c)](/usc/30/1233.md?p=c)).

## Footnotes

[^1]: So in original. The word “and” probably should not appear.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 117–58, div. D, title VII, § 40701, Nov. 15, 2021, 135 Stat. 1091; Pub. L. 117–328, div. DD, title VIII, § 801, Dec. 29, 2022, 136 Stat. 5622.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

The Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977, referred to in subsec. (b)(1), is Pub. L. 95–87, Aug. 3, 1977, 91 Stat. 445, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 1201 of this title and Tables.

### Codification

Section was enacted as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and not as part of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 which comprises this chapter.

### Amendments

2022—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 117–328 designated existing provisions as par. (1), inserted heading, substituted “Except as provided in paragraph (2), grants under” for “Grants under”, and added par. (2).

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Wage Rate Requirements

For provisions relating to rates of wages to be paid to laborers and mechanics on projects for construction, alteration, or repair work funded under div. D or an amendment by div. D of Pub. L. 117–58, including authority of Secretary of Labor, see section 18851 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare.

### Definitions

For definition of “Indian Tribe” as used in this section, see section 5304 of Title 25, Indians, as made applicable by section 18701(2) of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare.