I 
110TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2769 
To establish improved mandatory standards to protect and enhance the health 
of miners. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 19, 2007 
Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California (for himself, Mr. RAHALL, Ms. WOOLSEY, 
Mr. MURTHA, Mr. KUCINICH, Mr. CHANDLER, Mr. HARE, Mr. BISHOP 
of New York, Mr. MOLLOHAN, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. HOLT, Mr. SARBANES, 
and Mr. YARMUTH) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
the Committee on Education and Labor 
A BILL 
To establish improved mandatory standards to protect and 
enhance the health of miners. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Miner Health En-
hancement Act of 2007’’. 
SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of Congress that— 
(1) essential standards to protect miner health 
established by the Federal Mine Safety and Health 
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Act of 1977 are out of date after 40 years, posing 
a significant threat to miner safety and health; and 
(2) whereas the Secretary of Labor has failed 
in recent years to adequately fulfill the Secretary’s 
obligations under the Federal Mine Safety and 
Health Act of 1977 (30 U.S.C. 801 et seq.) to up-
date these standards, additional Congressional inter-
vention is needed. 
SEC. 3. AIR CONTAMINANTS. 
Section 101 of the Federal Mine Safety and Health 
Act of 1977 (30 U.S.C. 811) is amended by adding at 
the end the following: 
‘‘(f) Notwithstanding the other requirements of this 
section, not later than 30 days of the enactment of the 
Miner Health Enhancement Act of 2007, the National In-
stitute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) shall 
forward to the Secretary its Recommended Exposure Lim-
its (RELs) for chemical and other hazards to miners, 
along with the research data and other necessary informa-
tion. Within 30 days of receipt of this information, the 
Secretary shall require the Mine Safety and Health Ad-
ministration (MSHA) to adopt such recommended expo-
sure limits as the Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs) 
for application in the mining industry. NIOSH shall annu-
ally submit to the Secretary any additional or revised rec-
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ommended exposure limits for all hazardous substances 
utilized in the mining industry, and the Secretary shall 
be obligated to adopt such exposure limits as PELs for 
application in the mining industry within 30 days of re-
ceipt of such information. Nothing in this subsection shall 
limit the ability of NIOSH to make such recommendations 
more frequently than 1 time per year, nor limit MSHA 
from establishing requirements for chemical and other 
substances in the mining industry that are more com-
prehensive and protective than those established pursuant 
to this subsection and in accordance with the other re-
quirements of this section.’’. 
SEC. 4. ASBESTOS. 
Section 101 of the Federal Mine Safety and Health 
Act of 1977 (30 U.S.C. 811) is further amended by adding 
at the end the following: 
‘‘(g) The health standard for asbestos established by 
the Occupational Safety and Health Administration that 
is set forth in section 1910.1001 of title 29, Code of Fed-
eral Regulations, or any subsequent revision of that regu-
lation, shall be adopted by the Mine Safety and Health 
Administration for application in the mining industry not 
later than 30 days of the enactment of the Miner Health 
Enhancement Act of 2007.’’. 
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SEC. 5. HAZARD COMMUNICATION. 
Section 101 of the Federal Mine Safety and Health 
Act of 1977 (30 U.S.C. 811) is further amended by adding 
at the end the following: 
‘‘(h) Unless and until there is additional rulemaking 
pursuant to the requirements of this section, the Secretary 
shall apply the provisions of the interim final rule of Octo-
ber 3, 2000, concerning hazard communication, in lieu of 
the final rule of June 21, 2002, concerning hazard com-
munication.’’. 
Æ 
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