COAL Act of 2025

The Combating Obstruction Against Leasing Act of 2025, or COAL Act, mandates specific actions by the Secretary of the Interior regarding federal coal leases. It requires the Secretary to promptly grant "qualified applications" for coal leases that are currently pending and have commenced environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act. For these applications, the bill dictates that the Secretary must publish draft environmental assessments, finalize the fair market value of the coal tract, and take all necessary intermediate steps to ensure the application is granted. Furthermore, it compels the Department of the Interior to grant any additional approvals required for mining activities to begin on previously awarded coal leases. A significant provision of the bill is the nullification of Secretarial Order 3338 , issued in 2016, which had placed a moratorium on new federal coal leasing. This action effectively removes the pause on new federal coal leases, regardless of any judicial decisions or ongoing departmental reviews.