I 
113TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2627 
To amend the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 to 
protect the health care benefits of our Nation’s miners. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 8, 2013 
Mr. WHITFIELD (for himself, Mr. MCKINLEY, and Mrs. CAPITO) introduced 
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 
A BILL 
To amend the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act 
of 1977 to protect the health care benefits of our Na-
tion’s 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 ‘‘Caring for Coal Miners 
Act’’. 
SEC. 2. INCLUSION OF RETIREES AFTER 2006. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 402(h)(2)(C) of the Sur-
face Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (30 
U.S.C. 1232(h)(2)(C)) is amended— 
(1) by inserting ‘‘(i)’’ before ‘‘A transfer’’; 
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(2) by redesignating clauses (i) and (ii) (as in 
effect immediately before the enactment of this Act) 
as subclauses (I) and (II) of clause (i) as designated 
by the amendment made by paragraph (1) of this 
section, and moving such subclauses 2 ems to the 
right; and 
(3) by striking the matter following such sub-
clause (II) and inserting the following: 
‘‘(ii) Such excess shall be calculated by 
taking into account only— 
‘‘(I) those beneficiaries actually en-
rolled in the Plan as of the date of enact-
ment of the Caring for Coal Miners Act, 
who are eligible to receive health benefits 
under the Plan on the first day of the cal-
endar year for which the transfer is made; 
and 
‘‘(II) those beneficiaries who would be 
denied health benefits payable directly by 
an employer in the bituminous coal indus-
try under a coal wage agreement, as that 
term is defined in section 9701(b)(1) of 
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26 
U.S.C. 9701(b)(1)), as a result of a bank-
ruptcy proceeding commenced in 2012. 
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‘‘(iii) An individual referred to in clause 
(ii)(II) shall be considered eligible to receive 
health benefits under the Plan.’’. 
(b) LIMITATION ON DUPLICATION OF BENEFITS.— 
(1) LIMITATION.—The amount made available 
as a result of the enactment of this Act shall be re-
duced by the amount of any benefits actually paid 
by a Voluntary Employees’ Beneficiary Association 
to or on behalf of a covered beneficiary, so that no 
covered beneficiary receives a greater benefit than 
would have been payable before the establishment of 
such association. 
(2) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 
(A) COVERED
BENEFICIARY.—The term 
‘‘covered beneficiary’’ means a person eligible 
for health benefits under both the plan referred 
to in section 402(h)(C) of the Surface Mining 
Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (30 
U.S.C. 1232(h)(2)(C)) and a Voluntary Em-
ployees’ Beneficiary Association. 
(B) 
VOLUNTARY
EMPLOYEES’ 
BENE-
FICIARY
ASSOCIATION.—The term ‘‘Voluntary 
Employees’ Beneficiary Association’’ means 
such an association established pursuant to the 
Order entered May 29, 2013, by the Court in 
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the case In re: Patriot Coal Corporation (Case 
No. 12–51502, Bankruptcy Court for the East-
ern District of Missouri). 
Æ 
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