Restricts areas relating to mining operations

Summary

HB 2738 would stop the state from issuing new permits for certain mining operations and for facilities that refine or recycle critical minerals if they are within specified distances of schools, wildlife refuges, state parks, public lands, surface waters, residences, or other protected sites. The bill applies to new mines and to new processing plants for metals like cobalt, lithium, rare earths, lead, zinc, nickel, cadmium, manganese, iron, and silver, but it does not affect expansions of existing mines or operations already running as of August 28 2026. The measure failed to pass.

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