Interior Department Quietly Rescinds Forgotten Prior Balance Replacement Fund Rules
Published Date: 11/24/2025
Rule
Summary
This new rule wipes out old regulations about 'prior balance replacement funds'—money meant to replace State or Tribal funds promised before 2007 but never actually given by Congress. States and Tribes affected by these funds will see these rules disappear starting January 23, 2026, unless people speak up by December 24, 2025. No new money changes, just a cleanup to make things clearer and simpler!
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
Rescinds Prior Balance Rules Jan 23, 2026
The rule removes Federal regulations 30 CFR 872.29 and 30 CFR 872.31 that defined and restricted prior balance replacement funds. The rescission is effective January 23, 2026 unless significant adverse comments are received by December 24, 2025.
Unspent Funds Follow Original Grant Rules
If a State or Tribe still has any unspent prior balance replacement funds, those funds will be governed by the regulations that were in place at the time of the initial grant award. The rule notes the original distribution covered seven years beginning October 1, 2008, and that the distributions are complete.
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Key Dates
Department and Agencies
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Previous / Next Documents
Previous: 2025-20827 — Prior Balance Replacement Funds
Starting January 23, 2026, the Office of Surface Mining is cleaning up its rules by removing outdated references to old replacement funds that never got approved by Congress. This change affects States and Tribes who get money from these funds, but it won’t change how much money they receive going forward. If anyone has big concerns, they have until December 24, 2025, to speak up before the rule becomes official.
Next: 2025-20830 — Prior Balance Replacement Funds
Starting January 23, 2026, the government will stop giving out special replacement funds that were meant to cover old State or Tribal money not approved by Congress before 2007. This change affects States and Tribes who were expecting these funds, and it means no new money will be handed out under these old rules. If anyone has big concerns, they can speak up by December 24, 2025, before the rule kicks in.