A bill to expand the scope of the small operators assistance program in the 1977 Surface Mining and Reclamation Act.

Amends the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 to make financial assistance available to a coal surface mining operator whose probable total annual production will not exceed 200,000 tons, with regard to: (1) drilling observation wells; (2) meeting planning requirements, including water supply information, climatological information, vegetation information, fish and wildlife resources information, soil resources information, land use information, and mapping requirements; and (3) reclamation and operations activities, including water compliance monitoring and soil tests.