Statement of Administration Policy: H.R. 450 - Stock Raising Homestead Act Amendments

(House Rules) and SENT to House 9/14/92
(Lehman (D) California)

The Administration opposes enactment of H.R. 450 and supports with minor amendments a companion bill, S. 1187, as passed by the Senate on November 26, 1991.

H.R. 450 would unduly restrict the right to prospect for minerals and would impose inflexible and costly reclamation standards on miners. The bill also would place the Secretary of the Interior in the unprecedented position of authorizing activities on the surface estate without the owner's consent, thereby exposing the United States to litigation and possible liability. Finally, H.R. 450 would essentially give subsurface mineral rights to the surface owner without fair compensation to the United States.