To amend the Black Lung Benefits Act to provide equity for certain eligible survivors, and for other purposes.

Bill: 115-hr-323
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Griffith, H. Morgan [R-VA-9]
Introduced: 2017-01-05
Policy area: Labor and Employment
Subjects: Cardiovascular and respiratory health

Coal

Disability assistance

Mining

Worker safety and health
Latest action: action_date: 2017-01-05
text: Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

Summaries:
action_date: 2017-01-05
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p>This bill amends the Black Lung Benefits Act to preserve specified amendments made by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) in the event those amendments are repealed. The amendments expanded the application of certain eligibility requirements for black lung benefits to claims that were pending on or after the enactment of PPACA. Those requirements: (1) established a rebuttable presumption for claims filed by a miner who worked at least 15 years in an underground coal mine that a disabling lung or respiratory condition was due to black lung disease, and (2) entitled the survivors of a miner who, before death, was determined to be eligible for benefits to those benefits without the survivors being required to revalidate the miner's claim. (Previously, survivors were required to prove that the miner's death was caused by black lung disease).</p>

tv_txt: I 115th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 323 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES January 5, 2017 Mr. Griffith (for himself, Mr. Johnson of Ohio , Mr. Roe of Tennessee , Mr. Jenkins of West Virginia , and Mr. McKinley ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce A BILL To amend the Black Lung Benefits Act to provide equity for certain eligible survivors, and for other purposes.

1. Equity for certain eligible survivors (a) Limitation Section 411(c)(4) of the Black Lung Benefits Act ( 30 U.S.C. 921(c)(4) ) is amended by striking the last sentence. (b) Continuation of benefits Section 422(l) of the Black Lung Benefits Act ( 30 U.S.C. 932(l) ) is amended by striking , except with respect to a claim filed under this part on or after the effective date of the Black Lung Benefits Amendments of 1981 . (c) Applicability The amendments made by this section shall apply with respect to claims filed under part B or part C of the Black Lung Benefits Act ( 30 U.S.C. 921 et seq., 931 et seq.) after January 1, 2005, that were pending on or after March 23, 2010. 2. Effective date The amendments made by this Act shall take effect on the date of enactment of any Act that repeals section 1556 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act ( Public Law 111–148 ).