MERICA Act of 2025

This bill proposes to make all federally acquired lands eligible for hardrock mineral leasing under the Mineral Leasing Act for Acquired Lands. It expands the types of minerals subject to leasing to include base and precious metals, industrial minerals, and gemstones, while specifically excluding materials like coal, oil, and gas. Currently, hardrock mining is only permitted on federal lands acquired under specific statutes, and this legislation would standardize leasing eligibility across all acquired federal property.

This bill affects entities interested in mining hardrock minerals, such as base metals, precious metals, and gemstones, on federally acquired lands. It also impacts federal agencies responsible for managing land and mineral leases under the Mineral Leasing Act for Acquired Lands. By expanding the types of minerals eligible for leasing, the bill applies to all federally acquired lands regardless of whether the original acquisition statute specifically authorized hardrock mineral leasing.

• Expansion of hardrock mineral leasing eligibility. The bill designates all federally acquired lands as eligible for hardrock mineral leasing under the Mineral Leasing Act for Acquired Lands. This removes the requirement that land must have been acquired under specific statutes, such as the Weeks Act, to be used for hardrock mining.
• Definition of hardrock minerals. The legislation defines hardrock minerals to include precious and base metals, industrial minerals, gemstones, and deposits found in sedimentary or other rocks. It specifically excludes resources such as coal, oil, gas, and materials governed by the Materials Act of 1947.
• Standardization of mineral leasing categories. The bill adds hardrock minerals to the list of deposits subject to leasing under the Mineral Leasing Act for Acquired Lands. This aligns the treatment of hardrock minerals with other resources currently listed under the Act, such as phosphate, sulfur, and oil.

The bill expands the scope of the Mineral Leasing Act for Acquired Lands (MLAAL) by making all federally acquired lands eligible for hardrock mineral leasing. It modifies existing regulatory frameworks by adding hardrock minerals to the list of deposits subject to lease under the MLAAL, which currently only includes resources such as coal, oil, and gas.

The bill aims to expand the scope of the Mineral Leasing Act for Acquired Lands by making all federally acquired lands eligible for hardrock mineral leasing. It establishes a definition for hardrock minerals to include base and precious metals, industrial minerals, and gemstones, thereby allowing these deposits to be leased on federal lands where such activity was previously restricted by the original acquisition statutes.