3.0.0 5389 2023-01-13T04:48:28Z 2023-01-13T04:48:28Z House H HR 2006-05-16 109 hsed00 Education and the Workforce Committee House Standing hsed10 Workforce Protections Subcommittee Referred to 2006-07-14T20:47:40Z Referred to 2006-05-16T16:30:20Z Protecting America's Miners Act 109 2798 S 2006-05-15 Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S4552) Identical bill CRS 2006-07-14 hsed10 Workforce Protections Subcommittee 1 House committee actions Referred to the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections. Committee 2006-05-16 Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. IntroReferral H11100 2 House floor actions hsed00 Education and the Workforce Committee 2006-05-16 Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E840) IntroReferral B00100 9 Library of Congress 2006-05-16 Introduced in House IntroReferral Intro-H 9 Library of Congress 2006-05-16 Introduced in House IntroReferral 1000 9 Library of Congress M000725 Rep. Miller, George [D-CA-7] GEORGE MILLER D CA 7 N R000011 Rep. Rahall, Nick J., II [D-WV-3] NICK RAHALL D WV J. 3 2006-05-16 True O000159 Rep. Owens, Major R. [D-NY-11] MAJOR OWENS D NY R. 11 2006-05-16 True C001058 Rep. Chandler, Ben [D-KY-6] Ben Chandler D KY 6 2006-05-16 True H001032 Rep. Holt, Rush [D-NJ-12] RUSH HOLT D NJ D. 12 2006-05-16 True D000602 Rep. Davis, Artur [D-AL-7] Artur Davis D AL 7 2006-05-16 True M000844 Rep. Mollohan, Alan B. [D-WV-1] ALAN MOLLOHAN D WV B. 1 2006-05-16 True B000944 Rep. Brown, Sherrod [D-OH-13] Sherrod Brown D OH 13 2006-05-16 True C000794 Rep. Costello, Jerry F. [D-IL-12] JERRY COSTELLO D IL F. 12 2006-05-16 True M001120 Rep. Murtha, John P. [D-PA-12] JOHN MURTHA D PA P. 12 2006-05-16 True W000314 Rep. Wexler, Robert [D-FL-19] ROBERT WEXLER D FL 19 2006-09-12 False Labor and Employment Administrative procedure Agriculture and Food Carbon monoxide Coal Commerce Congressional reporting requirements Crime and Law Enforcement Data banks Defective products Department of Labor Economics and Public Finance Electric batteries Electronic government information Emergency Management Emergency communication systems Employee rights Employee training Employers' liability Energy Environmental Protection Equipment and supplies Executive reorganization Explosions Federal employees Fines (Penalties) Fire fighters Fire prevention Fires Geographic information systems Government Operations and Politics Government paperwork Governmental investigations Health Identification devices Inspectors general Law Machinery Maps Methane Mine safety Miners Occupational health and safety Ombudsman Oxygen Paramedical personnel Pollution measurement Potable water Product safety Public meetings Quality of products Recruiting of employees Rescue work Risk Safety measures Science, Technology, Communications Standards Technological innovations Telephone User charges Water Resources Development Water supply Whistle blowing Labor and Employment 00 2006-05-16 Introduced in House 2006-08-08T19:42:43Z Protecting America's Miners Act - Expresses the sense of Congress concerning the need for congressional intervention to maintain a highly trained Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) inspector workforce.

Amends the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 to revise safety standards for mines, including by requiring: (1) atmospheric detection and warning systems; (2) certain communication technologies; (3) emergency underground caches of air and self-contained breathing equipment; (4) self-rescue devices and training; (5) underground refuges; and (6) electronic tracking devices. Deems violations of such standards as the creation of imminent danger to miners.

Requires the Secretary of Labor to establish within the Mine Safety and Health Administration a central communications emergency call center for mine operators. Requires operators to report any emergency or serious mine incident to the center no later than 15 minutes after becoming aware of the incident.

Requires operators to ensure the availability and capabilities of mine rescue teams. Directs the Secretary to promulgate regulations regarding mine rescue teams and accident investigations.

Requires the Secretary to contract with the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board or other independent federal investigative authority to investigate an accident upon the request of the authorized miners' representative or representatives of a majority of the families of the miners killed (or who could have been killed) in such accident.

Requires the MSHA inspector or district manager to notify operators and miners' representatives when a potential pattern of violations is identified. Imposes penalties and miner withdrawal requirements. Revises penalties for safety standards and notification violations.

Establishes, within the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Labor, the position of Miner Ombudsman.

Requires the Secretary to: (1) develop mandatory standards that implement the recommendations of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) concerning flammability of conveyor belts; (2) improve standards concerning seals for abandoned areas in mines; (3) inspect the seals of coal mines that are composed of nontraditional materials to ensure they are constructed in a safe manner; and (4) develop standards requiring a concentration of not more than 1.0 milligram of respirable dust per cubic meter of air.

Abolishes for five years the ceilings on the number of MSHA mine inspector personnel that may be employed. Authorizes MSHA to hire retired inspectors in cases of shortages.

Requires NIOSH to consider new technologies and those that could be adapted for use in facilitating survival of miners during emergencies.

]]> Protecting America's Miners Act Display Title Protecting America's Miners Act Official Title as Introduced To establish improved mandatory standards to protect miners during emergencies, and for other purposes. Introduced in House IH Short Titles as Introduced Protecting America's Miners Act Popular Titles Coal Mine Safety bill 9 Library of Congress Introduced in House 2006-05-16T04:00:00Z 2006-07-14 Referred to the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections. text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain. Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress This file contains bill summaries and statuses for federal legislation. A bill summary describes the most significant provisions of a piece of legislation and details the effects the legislative text may have on current law and federal programs. Bill summaries are authored by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) of the Library of Congress. As stated in Public Law 91-510 (2 USC 166 (d)(6)), one of the duties of CRS is "to prepare summaries and digests of bills and resolutions of a public general nature introduced in the Senate or House of Representatives". For more information, refer to the User Guide that accompanies this file.