30 U.S.C. § 1423 — Records, audits, and public disclosure

(a) Records and audits (1) Each licensee and permittee must keep such records, consistent with standard accounting principles, as the Administrator must by regulation prescribe. Such records must include information which will fully disclose expenditures for exploration and commercial recovery, including processing, of hard mineral resources, and such other information as will facilitate an effective audit of such expenditures. (2) The Administrator and the Comptroller General of the United States, or any of their duly authorized representatives, must have access, for purposes of audit and examination, to any books, documents, papers, and records of licensees and permittees which are necessary and directly pertinent to verify the expenditures referred to in paragraph (1).

(b) Submission of data and information Each licensee and permittee must be required to submit to the Administrator such data or other information as the Administrator may reasonably need for purposes of making determinations about the issuance, revocation, modification, or suspension of any license or permit; compliance with the reporting requirement contained in section 1469 of this title; and evaluation of the exploration or commercial recovery activities conducted by the licensee or permittee.

(c) Public disclosure Copies of any document, report, communication, or other record maintained or received by the Administrator containing data or information required under this subchapter must be made available to any person upon any request which (1) reasonably describes such record and (2) is made under rules adopted by the Administrator stating the time, place, fees (if any, no more than the direct cost of the services rendered), and procedures to be followed, except that neither the Administrator nor any other officer or employee of the United States may disclose any data or information knowingly and willingly required under this subchapter the disclosure of which is prohibited by section 1905 of title 18 . Any officer or employee of the United States who discloses data or information in violation of this subsection must be subject to the penalties set forth in section 1463(b) of this title .