{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://king-hinds.house.gov/media/press-releases/king-hinds-introduces-pacmesa-strengthen-territorial-benefits-and-protections", "King-Hinds Introduces PACMESA to Strengthen Territorial Benefits and Protections from Seabed Mining", "2026-09-10", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "House", "MP", "Kimberlyn King-Hinds", "K000404", "king-hinds.house.gov", "king-hinds", "https://king-hinds.house.gov/media", "scraper", "September 10, 2026\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2013 Today, Congresswoman Kimberlyn King-Hinds introduced H.R. 10318, the Pacific Minerals Economic Security Act (PACMESA), legislation that would strengthen economic benefits, environmental protections, and local consultation requirements for U.S. Pacific territories located near potential seabed mining activities.\n\nThe legislation would establish significant revenue sharing for U.S. offshore natural resource development, directing 50% of revenues from covered leases to eligible adjacent territorial governments. The bill would also strengthen financial assurance and environmental bonding requirements beyond those currently provided under federal law and regulation, while expanding notification and consultation requirements for territorial governments.\n\n\u201cCritical minerals are at the center of America\u2019s economic competitiveness and national security,\u201d said Congresswoman King-Hinds. \u201cWhile I do not support or oppose seabed mining, we must recognize the nation\u2019s strategic imperative to develop secure critical mineral supply chains. If seabed mining offshore our communities occurs, PACMESA would provide a crucial insurance policy for the Pacific territories that could be directly affected.\u201d\n\n\u201cThis bill addresses some of the most serious gaps in existing law and regulation governing hard mineral development on the Outer Continental Shelf,\u201d King-Hinds continued. \u201cIt would establish unprecedented levels of local revenue sharing for natural resource development, require meaningful financial assurance to ensure companies can meet their environmental and lease obligations, and provide greater notification and consultation for adjacent Pacific territorial governments. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation and move it forward as soon as possible.\u201d\n\nThe Pacific Minerals Economic Security Act (H.R. 10318) Would:\n\nEstablish a 50/50 Revenue-Sharing Framework\n\nRequire revenues from leases subject to the Act to be divided equally, with 50% going to the U.S. Treasury and 50% distributed to covered territories \u2013 the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and American Samoa \u2013 located within 200 nautical miles of the center of the lease tract.\n\nIf the center of a lease tract is located within 200 nautical miles of two covered territories, each territory's share would be calculated inversely proportional to its distance from the lease.\n\nEstablish a 10% minimum share of the territorial allocation for any covered territory located within 200 nautical miles of the lease.\n\nAllow territorial revenues to be used for coastal restoration, infrastructure development including energy infrastructure, environmental mitigation, fiscal stabilization, and debt reduction.\n\nProtect Territorial Revenues\n\nProhibit the Secretary of the Interior from granting a lessee an exemption from paying royalties for leases covered by the Act.\n\nStrengthen Environmental Financial Assurances\n\nRequire lessees to furnish a $100,000 base bond at the time of lease sale to cover obligations under the lease.\n\nRequire lessees to furnish a supplemental bond before production begins, with the amount determined based on factors including:\n\nThe financial health of the lessee;\n\nThe lessee's financial ability to meet its obligations under the lease;\n\nThe estimated cost of decommissioning; and\n\nThe estimated cost of environmental restoration of the area subject to the lease.\n\nRequire the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study examining methods to mitigate the environmental impacts of seabed mining and the potential costs of those mitigation measures.\n\nRequire the Secretary to make a reasonable effort to consult with local institutions of higher education in conducting the study, providing opportunities for local students to gain experience and expertise in this emerging field.\n\nExpand Notification and Consultation with Pacific Territories\n\nExpand notification requirements for adjacent territorial governors.\n\nRequire the appropriate federal agencies, including the Department of the Interior, to notify adjacent territorial governors when an application for a prospecting, testing, delineation, or production permit triggers a Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) consistency review.\n\nCodify a notification and comment period for territorial governors when an Environmental Assessment is required for such permit applications.", 1, "2026-09-11T09:25:29Z", "2026-09-11T09:27:08Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://king-hinds.house.gov/media/press-releases/king-hinds-introduces-pacmesa-strengthen-territorial-benefits-and-protections"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.6048147808760405, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}