MINES AND MINING – Amends and adds to existing law to provide for the adjustment of line license tax allocations, the expenditures of reclamation funds, voluntary contributions, the establishment of an advisory committee, the responsibilities of the department of lands, and the setting of reclamation priorities.

This Idaho bill (H 226) revises how mining license taxes are allocated and how reclamation funds are managed. It directs 50% of standard mine taxes to the abandoned mine reclamation fund (up from 34%) and creates a new 33% allocation for a cyanidation facility closure fund for mines using cyanidation. The bill requires 90% of reclamation funds to be spent directly on site restoration and engineering, and clarifies that voluntary contributions from companies can count toward environmental mitigation requirements for new mining projects. These changes affect mining operations (especially those with cyanidation facilities), the Idaho Department of Lands (which manages reclamation priorities), and entities making voluntary contributions.