US HB7458

Operators must submit a notice to the Secretary of the Interior or Agriculture at least 15 days before beginning mineral exploration activities that disturb 25 acres or less of public lands

The Secretary must review and respond within 15 days, either approving the exploration or notifying the operator of missing required information

Approval requires the notice to contain complete information and the operator to provide adequate financial assurance for the activity

Exploration activities covered include drilling, trenching, test pits, constructing drill roads and pads, and geotechnical/geophysical surveys—but not commercial extraction

Applies to minerals locatable under the Mining Law of 1872 on federal lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management or the U.S. Forest Service