H.R. 6791 · 117th Congress
John White Ensuring Timely Black Lung Benefits Act
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Never voted on. It didn't reach a floor vote before the 117th Congress ended, so it expired. A bill has to be introduced again to be considered in a new Congress.
R
RogersSponsor2 cosponsors · 1 D, 1 R
1 signed on when it was introduced; the rest joined later. Cosponsors who withdrew aren't shown.
This bill requires payment of black lung benefits to eligible individuals within 60 days of their eligibility determination.
What it does: CRS summary · Introduced in House · Feb 18, 2022
John White Ensuring Timely Black Lung Benefits Act
This bill requires payment of black lung benefits to eligible individuals within 60 days of their eligibility determination.
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.
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.)
Operators that are subsequently found liable for the benefits must reimburse the fund.
Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov
About this bill and sources
Official title: John White Ensuring Timely Black Lung Benefits Act
Latest action (Feb 18, 2022): 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.
Policy area: Labor and Employment · Origin: House · Introduced: Feb 18, 2022
Official page on Congress.gov · Bill text (GovInfo) · Status record (XML)
No recorded floor vote found.