Title 30, Mineral Lands and MiningRelease 119-102

§1442 Effect of International Agreement

Title 30 › CHAPTER 26 — DEEP SEABED HARD MINERAL RESOURCES › SUBCHAPTER II — TRANSITION TO INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT › § 1442

Last updated Aug 21, 2026|Official source

Summary

If an international agreement starts to apply to the United States, any parts of this law and the rules under it that do not conflict with that agreement must keep applying to U.S. citizens. The Administrator, working with the Secretary of State, must try as much as possible, consistent with the agreement, to let U.S. citizens who were doing exploration or commercial recovery before the agreement began keep operating. Within one year after the agreement takes effect, the Administrator must send Congress a report that describes the status of U.S. deep-seabed mining operations under the agreement and assesses whether U.S. citizens who were engaged in exploration or commercial recovery when the agreement began have been allowed to continue.

Full Legal Text

Title 30, §1442

Mineral Lands and Mining, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

If an international agreement enters into force with respect to the United States, any provision of subchapter I, this subchapter, or subchapter III, and any regulation issued under any such provision, which is not inconsistent with such international agreement shall continue in effect with respect to United States citizens. In the implementation of such international agreement the Administrator, in consultation with the Secretary of State, shall make every effort, to the maximum extent practicable consistent with the provisions of that agreement, to provide for the continued operation of exploration and commercial recovery activities undertaken by United States citizens prior to entry into force of the agreement. The Administrator shall submit to the Congress, within one year after the date of such entry into force, a report on the actions taken by the Administrator under this section, which report shall include, but not be limited to—

(1)a description of the status of deep seabed mining operations of United States citizens under the international agreement; and

(2)an assessment of whether United States citizens who were engaged in exploration or commercial recovery on the date such agreement entered into force have been permitted to continue their operations.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

30 U.S.C. § 1442

Title 30, Mineral Lands and Mining

Last Updated

Aug 21, 2026

Release point: 119-102