Description:
H.R. 3734 would amend current law to require the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) to allocate 70 percent of any funds used to support outside research to institutions of higher education with accredited mining or mineral engineering programs. In 2015, the agency spent $1 million on outside research.
OSMRE already has the authority to spend appropriated funds on outside research and H.R. 3734 would affect only the allocation of such funds; therefore, CBO estimates that implementing the legislation would have no effect on the federal budget. Enacting H.R. 3734 would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply. CBO estimates that enacting the bill would not increase net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2027.
H.R. 3734 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would benefit institutions of higher education that specialize in mining engineering by dedicating a greater share of federal mining research funds to support activities at such institutions. Any costs those entities might incur would result from participation in a voluntary federal program.
