Sec. 50201. Coal leasing

(a) Definitions.—In this section:

(1) COAL LEASE.—The term “coal lease” means a lease entered into by the United States as lessor, through the Bureau of Land Management, and an applicant on Bureau of Land Management Form 3400-012 (or a successor form that contains the terms of a coal lease).

(2) QUALIFIED APPLICATION.—The term “qualified application” means an application for a coal lease pending as of the date of enactment of this Act or submitted within 90 days thereafter under the lease by application program administered by the Bureau of Land Management pursuant to the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 181 et seq.) for which any required environmental review has commenced or the Director of the Bureau of Land Management determines can commence within 90 days after receiving the application.

(b) Coal leasing activities.—Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior—

(1) shall—

(A) with respect to each qualified application—

(i) if not previously published for public comment, publish any required environmental review;

(ii) establish the fair market value of the applicable coal tract;

(iii) hold a lease sale with respect to the applicable coal tract; and

(iv) identify the highest bidder at or above the fair market value and take all other intermediate actions necessary to identify the winning bidder and grant the qualified application; and

(2) may—

(A) with respect to a previously issued coal lease, grant any additional approvals of the Department of the Interior required for mining activities to commence; and

(B) after completing the actions required by clauses (i) through (iv) of paragraph (1)(A), grant the qualified application and issue the applicable lease to the person that submitted the qualified application if that person submitted the winning bid in the lease sale held under clause (iii) of paragraph (1)(A).