HJRES104

1) WHAT HAPPENED: H.J. Res. 104, introduced by Rep. Downing (R-MT), was passed by both chambers and signed into law on December 11, 2025, as Public Law 119-48. It uses the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to disapprove the BLM's 'Miles City Field Office Record of Decision and Approved Resource Management Plan Amendment' issued November 20, 2024. The disapproved rule had made zero acres available and 1,745,040 acres unavailable for further coal leasing consideration. Because the CRA disapproval has the force of law, that rule now has no force or effect — BLM must revert to the prior RMP that did not contain the coal leasing prohibition. 2) THE MONEY TRAIL: There is no funding authorization or appropriation in this joint resolution. It is purely a regulatory disapproval. The economic impact comes from preserving access to federal coal reserves — the Miles City Field Office covers 5.5 million acres of BLM-managed land in Montana, including portions of the Powder River Basin, the largest coal-producing region in the US. Federal coal leasing generates bonus bids, rental payments, and royalty revenues (12.5% of gross proceeds). By keeping those acres available, the federal government preserves future royalty income and coal producers preserve future reserve access. 3) STRUCTURAL WINNERS AND LOSERS: Winners — Powder River Basin coal producers with federal lease holdings: ARCH Resources, Peabody Energy ($BTU), and royalty/landholders like Natural Resource Partners ($NRP). The removal of a leasing moratorium prevents the artificial constriction of PRB coal supply, which supports the long-term viability of operations at mines like Peabody's North Antelope Rochelle and Arch's Black Thunder. Losers — Environmental advocacy groups that sought to curtail coal development; no publicly traded entities are structurally harmed by this law in a material way. 4) COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE: This law does not create new coal demand — it preserves the supply side of the federal equation. PRB coal has been under structural decline due to natural gas competition and renewable buildout, but the BLM's attempted leasing moratorium would have accelerated the decline by making new leases impossible. Congressional action here buys time for the industry, but does not reverse demand trends. Coal production in Montana has declined from ~40 million tons annually to ~30 million tons over the past decade. 5) TIMELINE: This bill is already law — no further steps remain. The BLM will need to withdraw the disapproved rule and issue guidance on the reversion to the prior RMP. The practical impact on lease sales depends on BLM's administrative pace and whether industry files new lease applications.