Three Daines Bills One Step Closer to Becoming Law

• November 19, 2024

Bills to Keep Bull Mountains Mine Open, Support Quantum Research, and Provide Housing Relief

U.S. SENATE - U.S. Senator Steve Daines announced today that three of his legislative priorities passed the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. The first bill would prevent the Bull Mountains Mine from closing and protect Montana jobs. Daines' bill to reauthorize the DOE Quantum Energy Act and promote quantum research, development, and jobs in Montana as well as his bill to address housing challenges in the National Park Service and Forest Service also passed out of committee with bipartisan support.

Daines introduced S.4432 in May 2024. It allows specific sections of federal minerals to be mined in order for the Bull Mountains Mine to keep operating.

"The Bull Mountains Mine near Roundup, Montana, provides over 250 Montanans with high paying jobs and great benefits. In fact the average salary is $135,000 a year. The mine is also the lifeblood of Musselshell County, not only providing jobs but hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes to the local community. Unfortunately, because of government inaction and continuous delays, the mine is on the verge of closing if we do not take action today," said Daines.

Watch his full remarks in front of the ENR HERE.

Read the text of the bill HERE.

Daines introduced the "DOE Quantum Leadership Act" in August 2024. It renews and expands his "National Quantum Initiative Act of 2018" to ensure that the United States remains the world's leader in technology and energy security.

"America is a global leader in science and technology, and hundreds of Montanans work hard every day to move forward on quantum research and technology. I'm happy to see progress on revewing our bipartisan DOE Quantum Energy Act, which will accelerate quantum research, increase our national security, and bolster our economy both in Montana and across the nation," Daines said.

Specifically, the DOE Quantum Leadership Act would:

• Reauthorize and expand quantum R&D activities across DOE through 2029;
• Build upon the foundational work of DOE's five National Quantum Research Centers, including those at Illinois' Fermilab and Argonne National Labs;
• Direct DOE to study and address quantum supply chain challenges and reduce barriers to commercialization;
• Increase interagency and industry coordination; and
• Establish new programs to support the workforce demands of the growing quantum R&D and commercial ecosystems.

Read the text of the bill HERE.

Daines introduced the bipartisan Land Manager Housing and Workforce Improvement Act with Senator Barrasso and Senator King in September 2024. The bill addresses housing and workforce challenges in the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service, and other land management agencies.

"This legislation will provide much-needed housing relief to Montanans who are living paycheck to paycheck as a result of the Biden-Harris administration's sky-high inflation. By prioritizing National Park Service workforce housing and supporting local gateway communities, we are one step closer towards addressing the housing shortage both in Montana and across the U.S." said Daines.

Read the text of the bill HERE.

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Contact: Matt Lloyd, Rachel Dumke