Description:
H.R. 520 would require the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Forest Service to take actions aimed at simplifying the permitting process for extracting certain minerals from federal lands. The bill would direct the affected agencies to coordinate with other agencies to reduce permitting delays and expedite the publishing of notices in the Federal Register related to mineral exploration and mining projects.
Based on information from the affected agencies, CBO estimates that those provisions would have no significant budgetary effect because the agencies are already performing most of the activities. Thus, CBO estimates that implementing that provision would cost less than $300,000 a year, or roughly the equivalent of two full-time employees. Such spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds. Those employees would help the affected agencies enhance interagency cooperation and meet the expedited timelines established in the bill.
CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 520 would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply.
CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 520 would not increase net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2028.
H.R. 520 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act.
