I
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 3507
To establish a program of supplemental unemployment benefits for unem-
ployed coal miners who have exhausted their rights to regular unemploy-
ment benefits, and whose separation from employment is due to environ-
mental laws or court orders directly related to the mining of coal.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
NOVEMBER 18, 1999
Mr. WISE (for himself, Mr. RAHALL, and Mr. MOLLOHAN) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means
A BILL
To establish a program of supplemental unemployment bene-
fits for unemployed coal miners who have exhausted their
rights to regular unemployment benefits, and whose sep-
aration from employment is due to environmental laws
or court orders directly related to the mining of coal.
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 ‘‘Coal Miners’ Unem-
ployment Assistance Act of 1999’’.
SEC. 2. SUPPLEMENTAL UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS FOR
CERTAIN UNEMPLOYED COAL MINERS.
(a) GENERAL RULE.—The Secretary of Labor (here-
inafter in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall
make payments of Federal supplemental benefits to indi-
viduals who are eligible unemployed coal miners for any
week of unemployment which begins in the individual’s pe-
riod of eligibility. Such benefits may be provided through
agreements with State unemployment agencies.
(b) ELIGIBLE UNEMPLOYED COAL MINERS.—For
purposes of this Act, the term ‘‘eligible unemployed coal
miner’’ means any individual if—
(1) such individual is separated from employ-
ment as a coal miner as a result of the application
of—
(A) environmental statutes,
(B) environmental regulations,
(C) environmental policy directives, or
(D) court orders,
directly related to the mining of coal, as certified by
the Governor of the State involved under regulations
prescribed by the Secretary;
(2) the date of such individual’s separation
from employment occurs on or after January 1,
1999;
(3) such individual has exhausted his rights to
regular compensation under State law;
(4) such individual has no rights to compensa-
tion (including both regular compensation and ex-
tended compensation) with respect to the week
under any State unemployment compensation law or
under any other Federal law (and is not paid or en-
titled to be paid any additional compensation under
any State or Federal law); and
(5) at least 30 percent of the individual’s base
period wages were for services performed directly in
connection with the mining of coal.
(c) PERIOD OF ELIGIBILITY.—For purposes of this
Act, the term ‘‘period of eligibility’’ means, with respect
to any individual, the 3-year period beginning on the date
of the separation on the basis of which that individual sat-
isfies the requirements of subsection (b).
(d) AMOUNT OF WEEKLY BENEFITS, ETC.—For pur-
poses of this Act—
(1) the amount of the Federal supplemental
benefit payable to any individual for any week of
total unemployment shall be equal to the amount of
the regular compensation (including dependents’ al-
lowances) payable to him during his benefit year
under State law for a week of total unemployment,
and
(2) the terms and conditions of the State law
which apply to claims for regular compensation and
to the payment thereof shall (except where incon-
sistent with the provisions of this Act or regulations
of the Secretary prescribed to carry out the purposes
of this Act) apply to claims for Federal supplemental
benefits and the payment thereof.
(e) FEDERAL SUPPLEMENTAL ACCOUNT.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall estab-
lish, for each eligible unemployed coal miner who
files a claim for Federal supplemental benefits, a
Federal supplemental account with respect to each
miner’s benefit year.
(2) AMOUNT IN ACCOUNT.—The amount estab-
lished in each eligible unemployed coal miner’s sup-
plemental account shall be equal to the lesser of—
(A) 100 percent of the total amount of
regular compensation (including dependents’ al-
lowances) payable to him with respect to the
benefit year (as determined under the State
law) on the basis of which he most recently re-
ceived regular compensation, or
(B) 26 times the amount of regular com-
pensation (including dependents’ allowances)
under the State law payable to such individual
during such benefit year for a week of total un-
employment.
(3) LIMITATION.—The amount of Federal sup-
plemental benefits payable to an eligible unemployed
coal miner shall not exceed the amount in such min-
er’s account established under this subsection.
SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated, from the
general fund of the Treasury, such sums as may be nec-
essary to carry out the purposes of this Act.
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.
For purposes of this Act:
(1) The term ‘‘State unemployment agency’’
means the agency administering the State law.
(2) The terms ‘‘compensation’’, ‘‘regular com-
pensation’’, ‘‘extended compensation’’, ‘‘additional
compensation’’, ‘‘base period’’, ‘‘benefit year’’,
‘‘State’’, ‘‘State law’’, and ‘‘week’’ have the respec-
tive meanings given such terms under section 205 of
the Federal-State Extended Unemployment Com-
pensation Act of 1970.
(3) The term ‘‘Governor’’ means the chief exec-
utive officer of a State.
(4) The determination of whether an individual
has exhausted his rights to regular compensation
shall be made as provided in section 202(a)(1) of the
Federal-State Extended Unemployment Compensa-
tion Act of 1970.
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