Senate Passes Bipartisan Mining School Act Bill
[Click image to enlarge]
U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources (ENR), applauded unanimous Senate approval of S. 912, the Mining Schools Act of 2023.
This legislation will help boost American energy and mineral security by supporting our mining schools so that they can recruit and train the next generation of miners. The legislation now goes to the House of Representatives.
“The United States cannot afford to be dependent on China, Russia, and other adversaries for minerals. We need access to minerals on federal lands. We also need to reinvigorate America’s mining workforce. I applaud the Senate for passing my bipartisan legislation to provide federal assistance to mining programs at public colleges and universities,” said ranking member Barrasso.
“It’s high time we support and honor the men and women who devote their lives to providing the minerals that we need for our economy and national defense,” added Barrasso.
According to the Center for Strategic & International Studies, “More than half the current domestic mining workforce will need to…retire[ ] and [be] replaced by 2029 (roughly 221,000 workers). This number stands in stark contrast to the total of just 327 degrees awarded in 2020 in mining and mineral engineering and a 39 percent net drop in graduations in the United States since 2016.”
Senator Barrasso’s Mining Schools Act of 2023 would:
• Establish a grant program for mining schools at four-year public institutions of higher education
• Authorize $10 million for the grant program for each fiscal year from 2024 through 2031
• Support student recruitment as well as studies, research projects, and demonstration projects related to the
production of minerals
• Establish the Mining Professional Development Advisory Board to evaluate applications, recommend recipients
to the Secretary of Energy, and conduct oversight to ensure that grant funds are appropriately used.
Senator Barrasso introduced S. 912 on March 22, 2023 with ENR chairman Joe Manchin (I-WV).
Be in-the-know when you’re on-the-go!
FREE eNews delivery service to your email twice-weekly. With a focus on lead-driven news, our news service will help you develop new business contacts on an on-going basis.
CLICK HERE to register your email address.
Copyright © 2024 Mining Connection LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission.
For licensing permission, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
