Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 2006

Bill: 109-s-2231
Sponsor: Sen. Byrd, Robert C. [D-WV]
Introduced: 2006-02-01 in the Senate
Policy area: Labor and Employment
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Coal
Commerce
Department of Labor
Emergency Management
Emergency communication systems
Employee training
Energy
Equipment and supplies
Executive reorganization
Finance and Financial Sector
Fines (Penalties)
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Law
Liability (Law)
Liability insurance
Mine safety
Miners
Negligence
Ombudsman
Rescue work
Research and development
Science, Technology, Communications
Standards
Technology transfer
Telephone
Whistle blowing
Wireless communication

Summary:
action_date: 2006-02-01
text: 
Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 2006 - Directs the Secretary of Labor to revise regulations prescribed pursuant to the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 to require coal mine operators to expeditiously provide notification of any accident where rescue and recovery work is necessary.
 
Requires the Secretary to revise regulations regarding mine rescue teams to: (1) address training and qualifications for team members, rescue equipment and technology, the structure and organization of teams, and the guidelines about liability and insurance issues; and (2) require that mine operators employ rescue teams to provide a rapid response and have a plan for coordination and communication between the rescue teams and local emergency response personnel.
 
Directs the Secretary to prescribe regulations to require: (1) each coal mine to maintain at strategic locations sufficient emergency supplies of air and self-contained breathing equipment, and independent means of communication with the surface, for people awaiting rescue; and (2) each operator to implement a communication and electronic tracking system to assist in rescue and to equip each person that enters a mine with certain communication and tracking devices.
 
Requires the Secretary to revise regulations in order to prohibit belt haulage entries from being used to ventilate active working places in any coal mine.
 
Directs the Secretary to prescribe regulations to establish minimum civil penalties for violations: (1) where the operator displays negligence or reckless disregard of a mandatory health or safety standard; and (2) of rescue notification requirements.
 
Requires the Secretary to: (1) establish an Office of Science and Technology Transfer within the Mine Safety and Health Administration to conduct research and development to apply advancing sciences and technologies to mines and miner health and safety; (2) review and revise mine health and safety standards with regard to implementing such technologies.
 
Establishes the position of Miner Ombudsman within the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Labor to be responsible for ensuring the safety of mines through information collection and sharing.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2006-02-01
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2006-02-01
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S449-451, S451)
action_date: 2006-02-01
text: Introduced in Senate