Priority projects

(a) Project identification (1) In general Not later than 10 days after the date of the enactment of this Act and annually thereafter, the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture, shall submit to the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate a list of each mining project on Federal land for which a plan of operations, a permit application, or other application for approval has been submitted to the Department of the Interior. (2) Approval of certain projects Not later than 10 days after the date on which the Secretary submits the list required under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall, in consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture, with respect to each mining project included on the list— (A) identify each priority mining project for which the Secretary can immediately approve or issue each plan of operations, permit application, and other application for approval submitted to the Department of the Interior; and (B) take all necessary and appropriate actions to expedite and approve or issue each such plan of operations, permit application, and other application for approval. (b) Identification of potential hardrock mineral and byproduct production Not later than 10 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture, shall submit to the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate a list of each mining project on Federal land, whether active, inactive, or proposed, that has the potential to— (1) increase production of hardrock minerals or the byproducts of hardrock minerals; (2) expand operations to include the byproducts of hardrock minerals; (3) produce hardrock minerals from mine tailings; or (4) produce hardrock minerals from coal ash and other coal byproducts. (c) Report on barriers to byproduct production Not later than one year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit a report to the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate on the barriers to byproduct production from mining projects on Federal land, including recommendations to Congress on how to reduce those barriers.