S. 3045 — COAL Act of 2025

This section directs the Secretary of the Interior, as soon as practicable after enactment, to grant each qualified coal lease application—defined as any application pending under the Bureau of Land Management's lease by application program (pursuant to the Mineral Leasing Act and applicable regulations) for which the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) environmental review process has commenced—including by (1) publishing a draft environmental assessment if not previously done, (2) finalizing the fair market value of the coal tract, (3) taking all intermediate actions necessary, and (4) granting the application. The section further requires the Secretary to grant any additional Department of the Interior approvals needed for mining activities to commence on previously awarded coal leases. (Thus, the provision mandates expedited approval of specified pending coal leases on public lands and enables mining under existing leases.)

This section nullifies Secretarial Order 3338, issued by the Secretary of the Interior on January 15, 2016, which imposed a moratorium on federal coal leasing. (Thus, it allows the Department of the Interior to resume issuing new coal leases and processing pending applications on federal lands.)