[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6644 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 6644

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.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            December 6, 2023

    Mr. Rogers of Kentucky (for himself and Mr. Bishop of Georgia) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
 Education and the Workforce, 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.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``John White Ensuring Timely Black 
Lung Benefits Act''.

SEC. 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''.
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