H.R. 7249 — Bond Improvement and Reclamation Assurance Act of 2026

This section revises performance bond requirements under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA) for surface coal mining and reclamation permits (30 U.S.C. 1259(a), (e)). It restructures bond determination criteria to include a rebuttable presumption that the mine will close 5 years after permit issuance; requires regulatory authorities to consider inflation impacts, early closure effects (including spoil availability), and additional forfeiture costs; and increases the minimum bond for the entire permit area to $52,593 (from $10,000), with annual adjustments for inflation using the Consumer Price Index for all Urban Consumers. (SMCRA bonds ensure completion of reclamation—i.e., restoring land affected by mining—if the operator defaults.) It also expands bond adjustment triggers to include changes in affected acreage, reclamation costs from long-term water pollution, coal market conditions, unanticipated closures, or reclamation plan revisions; and requires adjustments on permit renewal or transfer. This section requires recalculation and posting of the full bond amount upon permit transfer, assignment, sale, or significant revision (30 U.S.C. 1261(c)). Permittees and "covered persons"—i.e., those owning or controlling 30% or more of the permittee's or its parent's capital interests—remain jointly and severally liable for all reclamation costs, including postmining water pollution treatment. This section directs surface coal mine inspectors to notify regulatory authorities of site conditions that may increase reclamation costs and necessitate bond adjustments (30 U.S.C. 1267(e)). It also requires public availability of inspection information electronically. This section directs the Secretary of the Interior, within 90 days of enactment, to issue regulations establishing guidelines and benchmarks for minimum SMCRA bond amounts using recent reclamation data.