‘‘(B) for the calendar year beginning on 
January 1, 2024, at a rate of $9,627.60 per 
year, payable in 12 equal monthly payments; 
and 
‘‘(C) for each calendar year thereafter, at 
a rate equal to the product of the rate in effect 
under this paragraph for the calendar year im-
mediately preceding such calendar year multi-
plied by the ratio (not less than 1) of— 
‘‘(i) the Consumer Price Index for 
Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Work-
ers, as published by the Bureau of Labor 
Statistics, for the calendar year imme-
diately preceding such calendar year; to 
‘‘(ii) such Consumer Price Index for 
the second calendar year preceding such 
calendar year.’’. 
SEC. 108. DISCLOSURE OF EMPLOYMENT AND EARNINGS 
INFORMATION FOR BLACK LUNG BENEFITS 
CLAIMS. 
(a) TAX RETURN INFORMATION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 6103(l) of the Inter-
nal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by adding at 
the end the following new paragraph: 
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‘‘(23) DISCLOSURE OF RETURN INFORMATION 
TO DEPARTMENT OF LABOR TO CARRY OUT BLACK 
LUNG BENEFITS ACT.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Commissioner of 
Social Security shall, on written request with 
respect to any individual, disclose to officers or 
employees of the Department of Labor return 
information from returns with respect to net 
earnings from self-employment (as defined in 
section 1402) and wages (as defined in section 
3121(a) or 3401(a)) for employment for each 
employer of such individual. 
‘‘(B) RESTRICTION ON DISCLOSURE.—The 
Commissioner of Social Security shall disclose 
return information under subparagraph (A) 
only for purposes of, and to the extent nec-
essary in, carrying out the proper administra-
tion of the Black Lung Benefits Act (30 U.S.C. 
901 et seq.).’’. 
(2) 
CONFORMING
AMENDMENTS.—Section 
6103(p)(4) of such Code is amended— 
(A) in the matter preceding subparagraph 
(A), by striking ‘‘or (22)’’ and inserting ‘‘(22), 
or (23)’’; and 
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(B) in subparagraph (F)(ii), by striking 
‘‘or (22),’’ and inserting ‘‘(22), or (23)’’. 
(b) SOCIAL SECURITY EARNINGS INFORMATION.— 
Notwithstanding section 552a of title 5, United States 
Code, or any other provision of Federal or State law, the 
Commissioner of Social Security shall make available to 
the officers and employees of the Department of Labor, 
upon written request, the Social Security earnings infor-
mation of living or deceased individuals who are the sub-
ject of a claim under the Black Lung Benefits Act (30 
U.S.C. 901 et seq.), which the Secretary of Labor may 
require to carry out such Act. Such information shall be 
made available in electronic form. 
PART B—REPORTS TO IMPROVE THE ADMINIS-
TRATION OF BENEFITS UNDER THE BLACK 
LUNG BENEFITS ACT 
SEC. 121. STRATEGY TO REDUCE DELAYS IN ADJUDICA-
TION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Labor shall 
submit to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, 
and Pensions and the Committee on Appropriations of the 
Senate and the Committee on Education and the Work-
force and the Committee on Appropriations of the House 
of Representatives a comprehensive strategy to reduce the 
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backlog of cases pending on such date of enactment before 
the Office of Administrative Law Judges of the Depart-
ment of Labor. 
(b) CONTENTS OF STRATEGY.—The strategy under 
this section shall provide information relating to— 
(1) the current and targeted pendency for each 
category of cases before the Office of Administrative 
Law Judges of the Department of Labor; 
(2) the number of administrative law judges, 
attorney advisors supporting such judges, support 
staff, and other resources necessary to achieve and 
maintain the targeted pendency for each category of 
such cases; 
(3) the necessary resources to improve effi-
ciency and effectiveness, such as equipment for video 
conferences, training, use of reemployed annuitants, 
and administrative reforms; and 
(4) with respect to claims filed under the Black 
Lung Benefits Act (30 U.S.C. 901 et seq.), the nec-
essary resources needed to reduce the average pend-
ency of cases to less than 12 months from the date 
of receipt of the case to the date of disposition of 
such case. 
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PART C—IMPROVEMENT IN THE FINANCIAL SE-
CURITY OF THE BLACK LUNG BENEFITS DIS-
ABILITY TRUST FUND 
SEC. 131. POLICIES FOR SECURING THE PAYMENT OF BEN-
EFITS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.— 
(1) INTERIM RULE.—Not later than 60 days 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary shall publish an interim final rule setting 
forth the requirements for an operator of a coal 
mine to qualify as a self-insurer with respect to any 
portion of the operator’s liabilities under the Black 
Lung Benefits Act, as described in section 423(a)(1) 
of such Act (30 U.S.C. 933(a)(1)). 
(2) FINAL RULE.—Not later than 12 months 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary shall promulgate a final rule setting forth the 
requirements for an operator of a coal mine to qual-
ify as a self-insurer with respect to any portion of 
the operator’s liabilities under the Black Lung Bene-
fits Act, as described in section 423(a)(1) of such 
Act (30 U.S.C. 933(a)(1)). 
(3) CONTENTS.—Any rule under this subsection 
shall— 
(A) establish criteria, relating to the finan-
cial health of the operator (including credit-
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worthiness, long-term enterprise viability, and 
other liabilities), on which the eligibility of the 
operator to seek and maintain qualification as 
a self-insurer shall be determined; 
(B) establish procedures to determine on 
an annual basis (or more frequently, as deter-
mined necessary by the Secretary) the min-
imum amount of security sufficient to insure 
current (as of the date of the determination) 
and projected liabilities; and 
(C) establish procedures for review by the 
Secretary of operator appeals of determinations 
described in subparagraphs (A) and (B). 
(b) PENALTIES.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Section 423(d)(1) of the 
Black Lung Benefits Act (30 U.S.C. 933(d)(1)) is 
amended— 
(A) by striking ‘‘$1,000’’ and inserting 
‘‘$25,000’’; 
(B) by inserting ‘‘chief executive officer, 
chief operating officer,’’ after the word ‘‘presi-
dent,’’ each place it appears; 
(C) by striking ‘‘and treasurer’’ each place 
it appears and inserting ‘‘treasurer, and other 
responsible party’’; and 
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(D) by striking ‘‘for any benefit’’ and all 
that follows through ‘‘this section.’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘for— 
‘‘(A) any benefit which may accrue under this 
title in respect to any disability which may occur to 
any employee of such corporation while it shall so 
fail to secure the payment of benefits as required by 
this section; or 
‘‘(B) in the event of bankruptcy or other per-
manent abandonment of the obligation to secure the 
payment of benefits, the difference between the actu-
arial present value of the benefits to be paid by the 
fund under section 424(b)(1), projected as of the 
date of failure to secure such payment, and any se-
curity recovered or surrendered, with interest.’’. 
(2) OTHER RESPONSIBLE PARTY DEFINED.— 
Section 402 of the Black Lung Benefits Act (30 
U.S.C. 902) is amended by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘(j) The term ‘other responsible party’ means— 
‘‘(1) an individual, partnership, joint venture, 
corporation, mutual company, joint-stock company, 
trust, estate, unincorporated organization, associa-
tion, or other enterprise that possesses, directly or 
indirectly, the power to direct or cause the direction 
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of the management and policies of an operator or 
employer; or 
‘‘(2) any trade or business (whether or not in-
corporated) that is under common control with an 
operator or employer.’’. 
TITLE 
II—ESTABLISHING 
THE 
OFFICE OF WORKERS’ COM-
PENSATION PROGRAMS 
SEC. 201. OFFICE OF WORKERS’ COMPENSATION PRO-
GRAMS. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There shall be established, in 
the Department of Labor, an Office of Workers’ Com-
pensation Programs (referred to in this section as the ‘‘Of-
fice’’). 
(b) DIRECTOR.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Office shall be directed 
by a Director for the Office of Workers’ Compensa-
tion Programs (referred to in this section as the 
‘‘Director’’) who shall be appointed by the President, 
by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. 
(2) DUTIES.—The Director shall carry out all 
duties carried out by the Director for the Office of 
Workers’ Compensation Programs as of the day be-
fore the date of enactment of this Act. 
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(c) FUNCTIONS.—The functions of the Office on and 
after the date of enactment of this Act shall include the 
functions of the Office on the day before the date of enact-
ment of this Act, including all of its personnel, assets, au-
thorities, and liabilities. 
(d) REFERENCES TO BUREAU OF EMPLOYEES’ COM-
PENSATION.—Reference in any other Federal law, Execu-
tive order, reorganization plan, rule, regulation, or delega-
tion of authority, or any document of or relating to the 
Bureau of Employees’ Compensation with regard to func-
tions carried out by the Office of Workers’ Compensation 
Programs, shall be deemed to refer to the Office of Work-
ers’ Compensation Programs. 
TITLE III—ADDITIONAL 
PROVISIONS 
SEC. 301. TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMENDMENTS. 
The Black Lung Benefits Act (30 U.S.C. 901 et seq.) 
is amended— 
(1) in section 401(a) (30 U.S.C. 901(a)), by in-
serting ‘‘or who were found to be totally disabled by 
such disease’’ after ‘‘such disease’’; 
(2) in section 402 (30 U.S.C. 902)— 
(A) in subsection (a), by striking para-
graph (2) and inserting the following: 
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‘‘(2) a spouse who is a member of the same 
household as the miner, or is receiving regular con-
tributions from the miner for support, or whose 
spouse is a miner who has been ordered by a court 
to contribute to support, or who meets the require-
ments of paragraph (1) or (2) of section 216(b) of 
the Social Security Act or paragraph (1) or (2) of 
section 216(f) of such Act. An individual is the 
‘spouse’ of a miner when such individual is legally 
married to the miner under the laws of the State 
where the marriage was celebrated. The term 
‘spouse’ also includes a ‘divorced wife’ or ‘divorced 
husband’, as such terms are defined in paragraph 
(1) or (4) of section 216(d) of such Act, who is re-
ceiving at least one-half of his or her support, as de-
termined in accordance with regulations prescribed 
by the Secretary, from the miner, or is receiving 
substantial contributions from the miner (pursuant 
to a written agreement), or there is in effect a court 
order for substantial contributions to the spouse’s 
support from such miner.’’; 
(B) by striking subsection (e) and insert-
ing the following: 
‘‘(e) The term ‘surviving spouse’ includes the spouse 
living with or dependent for support on the miner at the 
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time of the miner’s death, or living apart for reasonable 
cause or because of the miner’s desertion, or who meets 
the requirements of subparagraph (A), (B), (C), (D), or 
(E) of section 216(c)(1) of the Social Security Act, sub-
paragraph (A), (B), (C), (D), or (E) of section 216(g)(1) 
of such Act, or section 216(k) of such Act, who is not 
married. An individual is the ‘surviving spouse’ of a miner 
when legally married at the time of the miner’s death 
under the laws of the State where the marriage was cele-
brated. Such term also includes a ‘surviving divorced wife’ 
or ‘surviving divorced husband’, as such terms are defined 
in paragraph (2) or (5) of section 216(d) of such Act who 
for the month preceding the month in which the miner 
died, was receiving at least one-half of his or her support, 
as determined in accordance with regulations prescribed 
by the Secretary, from the miner, or was receiving sub-
stantial contributions from the miner (pursuant to a writ-
ten agreement) or there was in effect a court order for 
substantial contributions to the spouse’s support from the 
miner at the time of the miner’s death.’’; 
(C) in subsection (f)(2)— 
(i) in subparagraph (A), by inserting 
‘‘, as in effect on the day before the date 
of enactment of the Black Lung Consolida-
tion of Administrative Responsibility Act 
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(Public Law 107–275)’’ after ‘‘section 
435(a)’’; and 
(ii) in subparagraph (B), by inserting 
‘‘, as in effect on the day before the date 
of enactment of the Black Lung Consolida-
tion of Administrative Responsibility Act 
(Public Law 107–275)’’ after ‘‘section 
435(b)’’; 
(D) in subsection (g)— 
(i) in paragraph (2)(B)(ii), by striking 
‘‘he ceased’’ and inserting ‘‘the individual 
ceased’’; and 
(ii) in the matter following paragraph 
(2)(C), by striking ‘‘widow’’ each place it 
appears and inserting ‘‘surviving spouse’’; 
(E) in subsection (h), by striking ‘‘Internal 
Revenue Code of 1954’’ and inserting ‘‘Internal 
Revenue Code of 1986’’; and 
(F) in subsection (i), by striking ‘‘Internal 
Revenue Code of 1954’’ and inserting ‘‘Internal 
Revenue Code of 1986’’; 
(3) in section 411 (30 U.S.C. 921)— 
(A) by striking subsection (a) and insert-
ing the following: 
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ter(s) of such a miner who is not sur-
vived at the time of the miner’s death 
by a surviving spouse, child, or par-
ent; in the case of the dependent par-
ent or parents of such a miner (who 
is not survived at the time of the min-
er’s death by a surviving spouse or 
child) who are entitled to the payment 
of benefits under paragraph (5) of 
section 411(c); or in the case of the 
dependent surviving brother(s) or sis-
ter(s) of such a miner (who is not sur-
vived at the time of the miner’s death 
by a surviving spouse, child, or par-
ent) who are entitled to the payment 
of benefits under paragraph (5) of 
section 411(c), benefits shall be paid 
under this part to such parent(s), or 
to such brother(s) or sister(s), at the 
rate specified in paragraph (3) (as if 
such parent(s), or such brother(s) or 
sister(s), were the children of such 
miner).’’; and 
(II) in the fourth sentence— 
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(aa) by striking ‘‘brother 
only if he’’ and inserting ‘‘broth-
er or sister only if the brother or 
sister’’; and 
(bb) by striking ‘‘before he 
ceased’’ and inserting ‘‘before the 
brother or sister ceased’’; and 
(iv) in paragraph (6), by striking 
‘‘prescribed by him’’ and inserting ‘‘pre-
scribed by the Secretary’’; 
(B) in subsection (b)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘his’’ each place it ap-
pears and inserting ‘‘such miner’s’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘widow’’ each place it 
appears and inserting ‘‘surviving spouse’’; 
and 
(C) in subsection (c), by striking ‘‘Internal 
Revenue Code of 1954’’ and inserting ‘‘Internal 
Revenue Code of 1986’’; 
(5) in section 413 (30 U.S.C. 923)— 
(A) in subsection (b)— 
(i) in the second sentence, by striking 
‘‘his wife’s affidavits’’ and inserting ‘‘affi-
davits of the miner’s spouse’’; 
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(ii) in the ninth sentence, by striking 
‘‘widow’’ and inserting ‘‘surviving spouse’’; 
and 
(iii) by striking the last sentence; and 
(B) in subsection (c), by striking ‘‘his 
claim’’ and inserting ‘‘the claim’’; 
(6) in section 414 (30 U.S.C. 924)— 
(A) in subsection (a)— 
(i) in paragraph (1), by striking 
‘‘widow, within six months after the death 
of her husband’’ and inserting ‘‘surviving 
spouse, within six months after the death 
of the miner’’; and 
(ii) in paragraph (2)(C), by striking 
‘‘his’’ and inserting ‘‘the child’s’’; and 
(B) in subsection (e)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘widow’’ and inserting 
‘‘surviving spouse’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘his death’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘the miner’s death’’; 
(7) in section 415(a) (30 U.S.C. 925(a))— 
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘Internal 
Revenue Code of 1954’’ and inserting ‘‘Internal 
Revenue Code of 1986’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (2)— 
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(i) by striking ‘‘he’’ and inserting ‘‘the 
Secretary’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘him’’ and inserting 
‘‘the Secretary’’; 
(8) in section 421 (30 U.S.C. 931)— 
(A) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘widows’’ 
and inserting ‘‘spouses’’; and 
(B) in subsection (b)(2)— 
(i) in the matter preceding subpara-
graph (A), by striking ‘‘he’’ and inserting 
‘‘the Secretary’’; and 
(ii) in subparagraph (F), by striking 
‘‘promulgated by him’’ and inserting ‘‘pro-
mulgated by the Secretary’’; 
(9) in section 422 (30 U.S.C. 932)— 
(A) in subsection (a)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘Internal Revenue 
Code of 1954’’ and inserting ‘‘Internal 
Revenue Code of 1986’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘he’’ and inserting 
‘‘the Secretary’’; 
(B) in subsection (c), by inserting ‘‘, as in 
effect on the day before the date of enactment 
of the Black Lung Consolidation of Administra-
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and inserting ‘‘Internal Revenue Code of 
1986’’; and 
(C) in paragraph (5), by striking ‘‘Internal 
Revenue Code of 1954’’ and inserting ‘‘Internal 
Revenue Code of 1986’’; 
(12) in section 428 (30 U.S.C. 938)— 
(A) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘him’’ 
and inserting ‘‘such operator’’; and 
(B) in subsection (b)— 
(i) in the first sentence, by striking 
‘‘he’’ and inserting ‘‘the miner’’; 
(ii) in the third sentence, by striking 
‘‘he’’ and inserting ‘‘the Secretary’’; 
(iii) in the ninth sentence— 
(I) by striking ‘‘he’’ each place it 
appears and inserting ‘‘the Sec-
retary’’; and 
(II) by striking ‘‘his’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘the miner’s’’; and 
(iv) in the tenth sentence, by striking 
‘‘he’’ each place it appears and inserting 
‘‘the Secretary’’; and 
(13) in section 430 (30 U.S.C. 940)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘1977 and’’ and inserting 
‘‘1977,’’; and 
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(B) by striking ‘‘1981’’ and inserting 
‘‘1981, and the Black Lung Benefits Improve-
ment Act of 2023, and any amendments made 
after the date of enactment of such Act,’’. 
SEC. 302. SEVERABILITY. 
If any provision of this Act or any amendment made 
by this Act, or the application of a provision of this Act 
or an amendment made by this Act to any person or cir-
cumstance, is held to be unconstitutional, the remainder 
of this Act and the amendments made by this Act, and 
the application of the provisions or amendment to any 
other person or circumstance, shall not be affected by the 
holding. 
Æ 
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