II 115th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 546 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES March 7, 2017 Mr. Barrasso (for himself, Mr. Wyden , Mr. Enzi , Mr. Merkley , Mr. Wicker , Mr. Alexander , Ms. Stabenow , Mr. Blumenthal , Mr. Gardner , Mr. Isakson , Mr. Murphy , Mr. Roberts , Mr. Moran , Mr. Casey , Mr. Cornyn , and Mrs. Feinstein ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources A BILL To reduce temporarily the royalty required to be paid for sodium produced on Federal lands, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the American Soda Ash Competitiveness Act . 2. Reduction in royalty rate on soda ash Notwithstanding section 102(a)(9) of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 ( 43 U.S.C. 1701(a)(9) ), section 24 of the Mineral Leasing Act ( 30 U.S.C. 262 ), and the terms of any lease under that Act, the royalty rate on the quantity or gross value of the output of sodium compounds and related products at the point of shipment to market from Federal land in the 5-year period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act shall be 2 percent.