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John White Ensuring Timely Black Lung Benefits Act
12/30/2022, 4:33 AM
Summary of Bill HR 6791
The bill is named after John White, a coal miner who tragically passed away while waiting for his black lung benefits to be processed. The goal of the legislation is to prevent similar delays in the future and ensure that coal miners and their families receive the benefits they are entitled to in a timely manner.
Specifically, the John White Ensuring Timely Black Lung Benefits Act includes provisions to streamline the claims process, improve communication between the Department of Labor and claimants, and increase transparency in the decision-making process. The bill also seeks to provide additional resources to the Department of Labor to help expedite the processing of black lung benefit claims. Overall, the John White Ensuring Timely Black Lung Benefits Act is a bipartisan effort to address the challenges faced by coal miners and their families in accessing the benefits they deserve. If passed, the bill has the potential to make a meaningful impact on the lives of those affected by black lung disease.
Congressional Summary of HR 6791
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.
