---
kind: "section"
citation: "30 U.S.C. § 1717"
title: "30"
title_heading: "Mineral Lands and Mining"
number: "1717"
heading: "Hearings and investigations"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/30/1717"
units:
  - "Chapter 29 — Oil and Gas Royalty Management"
  - "Subchapter I — Federal Royalty Management and Enforcement"
---

# §1717. Hearings and investigations

- (a) **Authorization; affidavits, oaths, subpenas, testimony, and payment of witnesses—** In carrying out his duties under this chapter the [Secretary](/usc/30/1702.md?p=15) may conduct any investigation or other inquiry necessary and appropriate and may conduct, after notice, any hearing or audit, necessary and appropriate to carrying out his duties under this chapter. In connection with any such hearings, inquiry, investigation, or audit, the [Secretary](/usc/30/1702.md?p=15) is also authorized where reasonably necessary—
  - (1) to require by special or general order, any [person](/usc/30/1702.md?p=12) to submit in writing such affidavits and answers to questions as the [Secretary](/usc/30/1702.md?p=15) may reasonably prescribe, which submission shall be made within such reasonable period and under oath or otherwise, as may be necessary;
  - (2) to administer oaths;
  - (3) to require by subpena the attendance and testimony of witnesses and the [production](/usc/30/1702.md?p=13) of all books, papers, [production](/usc/30/1702.md?p=13) and financial records, documents, matter, and materials, as the [Secretary](/usc/30/1702.md?p=15) may request;
  - (4) to order testimony to be taken by deposition before any [person](/usc/30/1702.md?p=12) who is designated by the [Secretary](/usc/30/1702.md?p=15) and who has the power to administer oaths, and to compel testimony and the [production](/usc/30/1702.md?p=13) of evidence in the same manner as authorized under paragraph (3) of this subsection; and
  - (5) to pay witnesses the same fees and mileage as are paid in like circumstances in the courts of the [United States](/usc/30/1702.md?p=33).
- (b) **Refusal to obey subpena—** In case of refusal to obey a subpena served upon any [person](/usc/30/1702.md?p=12) under this section, the district court of the [United States](/usc/30/1702.md?p=33) for any district in which such [person](/usc/30/1702.md?p=12) is found, resides, or transacts business, upon application by the Attorney General at the request of the [Secretary](/usc/30/1702.md?p=15) and after notice to such [person](/usc/30/1702.md?p=12), shall have jurisdiction to issue an order requiring such [person](/usc/30/1702.md?p=12) to appear and give testimony before the [Secretary](/usc/30/1702.md?p=15) or to appear and produce documents before the [Secretary](/usc/30/1702.md?p=15). Any failure to obey such order of the court may be punished by such court as contempt thereof and subject to a [penalty](/usc/30/1702.md?p=29) of up to $10,000 a day.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 97–451, title I, § 107, Jan. 12, 1983, 96 Stat. 2452.)