To amend title IV of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 to provide for the timely payment of black lung benefits pending liability determinations, and for other purposes.
About This Bill
Committee
Latest Action · December 6, 2023
Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
This bill ensures that coal miners with black lung disease receive benefits promptly while the Department of Labor determines which coal company is responsible for paying them. Currently, miners can face delays waiting for liability decisions; this legislation requires the government to pay benefits from a federal trust fund if a liability determination hasn't been made within 60 days of the initial benefit decision. Once a responsible coal operator is identified, they must repay the federal government for the benefits already distributed. The bill amends both the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act and the Internal Revenue Code to authorize these advance payments from the black lung benefits trust fund, ensuring that sick or deceased miners' families receive financial support without lengthy delays.
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