HB280, the “Combating Obstruction Against Leasing Act of 2025” or “COAL Act of 2025,” would direct the Secretary of the Interior to move forward on certain pending federal coal leasing applications. The bill applies to “qualified applications” already in the Bureau of Land Management’s lease-by-application process where National Environmental Policy Act review has begun. For those applications, the Secretary would be required to publish a draft environmental assessment if one has not already been released, finalize the fair market value of the coal tract, complete all intermediate steps needed for approval, and grant the lease application.
The bill also addresses previously awarded coal leases by requiring the Department of the Interior and its bureaus to issue any additional approvals needed for mining to begin. In addition, it would nullify Secretarial Order 3338, which was issued in 2016 and relates to the federal coal leasing program, stating that the order would have no force or effect regardless of contrary judicial decisions or departmental review. Overall, the bill is designed to accelerate and protect federal coal leasing and development on public lands.
Impact
HB280 would affect federal coal leasing policy by constraining Interior Department discretion in the lease-by-application process and by requiring faster action on pending coal lease applications and related mining approvals. It would also override Secretarial Order 3338, potentially changing how the Department of the Interior manages or reviews the federal coal leasing program. The bill would primarily affect the Bureau of Land Management, coal lease applicants, coal operators, and communities and stakeholders affected by coal development on federal lands.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and available context, the measure appears to be supported by its sponsors as a pro-coal, pro-development response to perceived delays or obstruction in federal leasing. The absence of recorded votes or committee debate in the provided materials means there is no documented bipartisan support or opposition in the record here, but the bill’s purpose suggests it is intended to advance coal leasing rather than to balance competing policy concerns. The last recorded action was subcommittee hearings, indicating the bill was still in the early stages of consideration.
Contention
The main points of contention are likely to be environmental review, agency discretion, and the role of federal policy in coal development. Critics would likely object to the bill’s requirement that Interior promptly approve qualified applications and additional mining approvals, because it limits the normal pace and potentially the substance of NEPA review and related administrative processes. Another likely point of dispute is the bill’s attempt to eliminate the effect of Secretarial Order 3338, which may be viewed by opponents as an effort to undo prior reforms or restrictions on federal coal leasing, while supporters would likely argue that the order has impeded energy production and economic activity.