Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 2006

Bill: 109-hr-4695
Sponsor: Rep. Rahall, Nick J., II [D-WV-3]
Introduced: 2006-02-01 in the House
Policy area: Labor and Employment
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Coal
Commerce
Department of Labor
Electronic government information
Emergency Management
Emergency communication systems
Employee training
Employer sanctions
Employers' liability
Energy
Equipment and supplies
Executive reorganization
Finance and Financial Sector
Fines (Penalties)
Geographic information systems
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Governmental investigations
Health
Industrial accidents
Insurance
Law
Liability (Law)
Mine safety
Miners
Negligence
Occupational health and safety
Ombudsman
Oxygen
Paramedical personnel
Rescue work
Research and development
Science, Technology, Communications
Standards
Technological innovations
Technology transfer
Telephone

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: 2006-05-01
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections.
action_date: 2006-02-01
text: Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
action_date: 2006-02-01
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E46-47)
action_date: 2006-02-01
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2006-02-01
text: Introduced in House