Certainty for States and Tribes Act

Certainty for States and Tribes Act

This bill directs the Department of the Interior to reestablish the Royalty Policy Committee, which should include members representing states and Indian tribes who produce minerals on federal or tribal land. In addition, Interior must establish a State and Tribal Resources Board, a subcommittee to the Royalty Policy Committee. The board and committee must advise Interior as it formulates policies and regulations regarding mineral production on federal and tribal lands. The board can delay the issuance of a final regulation by Interior if the board determines that such regulation will have a negative state or Tribal budgetary or economic impact.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) must complete by January 15, 2019, its programmatic review of the federal coal leasing program as described in Secretarial Order 3338. Secretarial Order 3338 directed the BLM to prepare a discretionary review of the federal coal program. (Interior issued Secretarial Order 3338 on January 15, 2016.)

The moratorium on the issuance of new federal coal leases by the BLM shall terminate on January 16, 2019. Additionally, the bill allows leases and modifications to be issued by the BLM for any coal leasing application currently under review. Secretarial Order 3338 prohibited approval of such leases and modifications.

The bill also directs the BLM to conduct federal coal lease sales and modifications within one year after it completes an analysis of an application.