John White Ensuring Timely Black Lung Benefits Act

Bill: 117-hr-6791
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Rogers, Harold [R-KY-5]
Introduced: 2022-02-18
Policy area: Labor and Employment
Latest action: action_date: 2022-02-18
text: Referred to the Committee on Education and Labor, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Summaries:
action_date: 2022-02-18
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>John White Ensuring Timely Black Lung Benefits Act</strong></p> <p>This bill requires payment of black lung benefits to eligible individuals within 60 days of their eligibility determination.</p> <p>Black lung disease (or pneumoconiosis) is a lung disease caused by the inhalation of coal dust. Coal miners and certain other workers (and their survivors) are eligible for benefits for disability or death caused by black lung disease arising out of coal mine employment. Generally, operators of underground coal mines are responsible for the payment of black lung benefits for their workers.</p> <p>Under this bill, if operator liability has not been determined within 60 days of a worker's eligibility determination, the Department of Labor must pay the worker's benefits from the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund. (Typically, that fund pays benefits in cases where the responsible operator either no longer exists and has no successor operator or is unable to pay benefits.)</p> <p>Operators that are subsequently found liable for the benefits must reimburse the fund.</p>

tv_txt: I 117th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 6791 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES February 18, 2022 Mr. Rogers of Kentucky (for himself and Mr. Bishop of Georgia ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor , and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means , for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned A BILL To amend title IV of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 to provide for the timely payment of black lung benefits pending liability determinations, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the John White Ensuring Timely Black Lung Benefits Act . 2. Payment of black lung benefits pending liability determinations (a) In general Section 422(h) of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 ( 30 U.S.C. 932(h) ) is amended— (1) by striking The Secretary of Labor and inserting (1) The Secretary of Labor ; and (2) by adding at the end the following: (2) (A) In any case in which a determination of liability described in paragraph (1) has not been made with respect to a benefit determination for a miner by the date that is 60 days after the date of such a benefit determination, the Secretary shall pay the benefits to which the miner is entitled under section 422 out of the fund (as defined in section 402(h)). (B) In no case shall payment of benefits under this paragraph be construed to relieve any operator subsequently determined responsible for the payment of such benefits of repayment liability described in section 424(b). (C) For purposes of this paragraph, the term benefit determination for a miner means a determination by the Secretary that the miner is totally disabled due to pneumoconiosis or that the death of the miner was due to pneumoconiosis. . (b) Authorization for expenditures from trust fund Section 9501(d)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended— (1) in subparagraph (A), by striking or at the end; (2) by redesignating subparagraph (B) as subparagraph (C); and (3) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the following: (B) a determination of liability described in paragraph (1) of section 422(h) of such Act has not been made with respect to a benefit determination for a miner (as defined in paragraph (2)(C) of such section) by the date that is 60 days after the date of such a benefit determination, or .