A bill to further amend the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920 (30 U.S.C. 201 (a) ), to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to exchange Federal Coal leases and to encourage recovery of certain coal deposits, and for other purposes.
Public Law 95-554 · S. 3189 · 95th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Jimmy Carter (D) on Oct 30, 1978 · Energy
Sponsor: Sen. Floyd Haskell (D-CO)
Cosponsors (1): Sen. Clifford Hansen
Passage votes
- HouseMethod not stated
- SenateMethod not stated
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior, notwithstanding the provisions of the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, to issue leases for coal on Federal lands (1) in the State of Utah to specified lease applicants upon surrender and relinquishment of such preference right lease applications and all rights to lease such lands and (2) in the State of Wyoming to listed owners of Federal coal leases upon the surrender and relinquishment of portions or all of such leases. Permits the Secretary to equalize the value of the rights to leases and leases authorized to be exchanged by receiving or paying out of available funds no more than 25 percent of the value of the leases to be issued by the Secretary.
Amends the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920 to authorize the Secretary to sell coal which may be removed incidental to the exercise of a right-of-way permit at fair market value, notwithstanding competitive bidding requirements.
Permits the Secretary to adjust the boundaries of an existing coal lease by adding thereto not more than 160 acres of additional coal lands or coal deposits cornering or contiguous to those lands embraced in such lease. Allows the Secretary not to apply the minimum royalty and production requirements of the Federal Coal Leasing Amendments Act of 1975 to land covered by the lease prior to such modification until the term of the original lease has expired.
Authorizes the Secretary: (1) to exchange mineral interests in Federal lands for privately owned minearl interests and (2) to sell federally owned mineral interests.
Repeals the provision of such Act which prohibits women miners in underground mines on Federal lands.
Directs the Secretary to study whether privately owned coal properties in the Lake DeSmet area of Johnson County, Wyoming, should be acquired for their recreational, scenic, and wildlife values by exchange for Federal coal lands. Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) acquire such interests if the Secretary finds that such exchanges should be made; and (2) transfer the properties to the State for recreational purposes and fish and wildlife management.
Authorizes appropriations as are necessary to carry out the purposes of this Act.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 12 actions.
- Oct 30, 1978Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public Law 95-554.
- Oct 13, 1978PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to House amendments.
- Oct 3, 1978FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended, in lieu of H.R. 13553.
- FloorFloor · Measure called up by unanimous consent in House.
- Sep 20, 1978FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended.
- Aug 25, 1978CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Jun 9, 1978CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the Senate
Data notes
Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.