[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5383 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5383

   To clarify that certain coal industry health benefits may not be 
                        modified or terminated.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 18, 2004

Mr. Rahall (for himself, Mr. Costello, Mr. Boucher, and Mr. Strickland) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                             Ways and Means

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To clarify that certain coal industry health benefits may not be 
                        modified or terminated.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. PROTECTION OF COAL INDUSTRY HEALTH BENEFITS.

    (a) Prohibition on Termination or Modification of Benefits.--
Section 9711(g) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (relating to rules 
applicable to this part and part II) is amended by adding at the end 
the following:
            ``(3) Prohibition on termination and modification of 
        benefits.--Except as provided in subsection (d), the benefits 
        required to be provided by a last signatory operator under this 
        chapter may not be terminated or modified by any court in a 
        proceeding under title 11 of the United States Code or by 
        agreement at any time when such operator is participating in 
        such a proceeding.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall take 
effect on January 1, 2004.
                                 <all>