H.R. 6757

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6757 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 6757

To amend the Black Lung Benefits Act to ease the benefits process for 
survivors of miners whose deaths were due to pneumoconiosis.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

December 16, 2025

Mr. McGarvey (for himself, Ms. Budzinski, Mr. Deluzio, Ms. Dexter, Ms. 
Lee of Pennsylvania, Ms. McClellan, and Ms. Omar) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and 
Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To amend the Black Lung Benefits Act to ease the benefits process for 
survivors of miners whose deaths were due to pneumoconiosis.

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 ``Relief for Survivors of Miners Act 
of 2025''.

SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS TO THE BENEFITS PROCESS FOR SURVIVORS OF MINERS 
WHOSE DEATHS WERE DUE TO PNEUMOCONIOSIS.

(a) Rebuttable Presumptions for a Death Due to Pneumoconiosis.--
(1) Rebuttable presumption for a deceased miner employed 
for not less than 10 years in a coal mine.--Section 411(c)(2) 
of the Black Lung Benefits Act (30 U.S.C. 921(c)(2)) is amended 
by striking the second sentence and inserting ``The presumption 
under this paragraph may be rebutted only by establishing that 
no part of the death of such miner was caused by 
pneumoconiosis.''.
(2) Rebuttable presumption for a disability due to 
pneumoconiosis.--Section 411(c) of the Black Lung Benefits Act 
(30 U.S.C. 921(c)) is amended by adding at the end the 
following:
``(6) If a deceased miner was totally disabled due to 
pneumoconiosis during the life of such miner and does not meet 
the requirements for an irrebuttable presumption under 
paragraph (3), there shall be a rebuttable presumption that the 
miner's death was due to pneumoconiosis. The presumption under 
this paragraph may be rebutted only by establishing that no 
part of the death of such miner was caused by 
pneumoconiosis.''.
(3) Effective date.--The amendments made by paragraphs (1) 
and (2) shall apply with respect to claims that are--
(A) filed under part C of the Black Lung Benefits 
Act (30 U.S.C. 931 et seq.) on or after the date that 
is 5 years before the date of enactment of this Act; 
and
(B) pending on or after the date of enactment of 
this Act.
(b) Conforming Amendment Regarding the Term Respirable.--Section 
411(c)(2) of the Black Lung Benefits Act (30 U.S.C. 921(c)(2)), as 
amended by section 2(a)(1), is further amended by striking 
``respirable'' and inserting ``respiratory''.
(c) Restoring Certain Pre-1981 Provisions Regarding Total 
Disability Due to Pneumoconiosis.--
(1) In general.--The Black Lung Benefits Act is amended--
(A) in section 401(a) (30 U.S.C. 901(a))--
(i) by striking ``this disease;'' and 
inserting ``this disease or who were totally 
disabled by this disease at the time of their 
deaths;''; and
(ii) by inserting ``or who were totally 
disabled by this disease at the time of their 
deaths'' after ``such disease''; and
(B) in section 411(a) (30 U.S.C. 921(a)), by 
striking ``, except'' and all that follows through ``of 
1981,''.
(2) Effective date.--The amendments made by paragraph (1) 
shall apply with respect to claims that are--
(A) filed under part C of the Black Lung Benefits 
Act (30 U.S.C. 931 et seq.) on or after the date that 
is 5 years before the date of enactment of this Act; 
and
(B) pending on or after the date of enactment of 
this Act.
(d) Attorneys' Fees and Medical Expenses Payment Program.--Part A 
of the Black Lung Benefits Act (30 U.S.C. 901 et seq.) is amended by 
adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 403. ATTORNEYS' FEES AND MEDICAL EXPENSES PAYMENT PROGRAM.

``(a) Program Established.--
``(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date 
of enactment of the Relief for Survivors of Miners Act of 2025, 
the Secretary shall establish a payment program to pay 
attorneys' fees and other reasonable and unreimbursed medical 
expenses incurred in establishing the claimant's case, using 
amounts from the fund, to the attorneys of claimants in 
qualifying claims.
``(2) Qualifying claim.--A qualifying claim for purposes of 
this section is a contested claim for benefits under this title 
for which a final order has not been entered within one year of 
the filing of the claim.
``(3) Use of payments from the fund.--Notwithstanding any 
other provision of law, amounts in the fund shall be available 
for payments authorized by the Secretary under this section.
``(b) Payments Authorized.--
``(1) Attorneys' fees.--
``(A) Approval.--If a claimant for benefits under 
this title obtains a proposed decision and order from a 
district director with an award of benefits for a 
qualifying claim, or an award for a qualifying claim 
before an administrative law judge--
``(i) the district director may approve 
attorneys' fees for work done before such 
director in an amount not to exceed $1,500; and
``(ii) the administrative law judge may 
approve attorneys' fees for work done before 
such judge in an amount not to exceed $3,000.
``(B) Payment.--The Secretary shall, through the 
program under this section, pay any amounts approved 
under subparagraph (A).
``(2) Medical expenses.--
``(A) Approval.--If a claimant for benefits under 
this title obtains a proposed decision and order from a 
district director with an award of benefits for a 
qualifying claim, or an award for a qualifying claim 
before an administrative law judge, such district 
director and administrative law judge may each approve 
an award, in an amount not to exceed $1,500, to the 
claimant's attorney of reasonable and unreimbursed 
medical expenses incurred in establishing the 
claimant's case.
``(B) Payment.--The Secretary shall, through the 
program under this section, pay any amounts approved 
under subparagraph (A).
``(3) Maximum.--The Secretary, through the program 
established under this section, shall for any single qualifying 
claim pay--
``(A) not more than a total of $4,500 in attorneys' 
fees; and
``(B) not more than $3,000 in medical expenses.
``(c) Reimbursement of Funds.--In any case in which a qualifying 
claim results in a final order awarding compensation, the liable 
operator shall reimburse the fund for any fees or expenses paid under 
this section, subject to enforcement by the Secretary under section 424 
and in the same manner as compensation orders are enforced under 
section 21(d) of the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act (33 
U.S.C. 921(d)).
``(d) Additional Program Rules.--Nothing in this section shall 
limit or otherwise affect an operator's liability for any attorneys' 
fees or medical expenses awarded by the district director or an 
administrative law judge that were not paid by the program under this 
section. Nothing in this section shall limit or otherwise affect the 
Secretary's authority to use amounts in the fund to pay approved 
attorneys' fees in claims for benefits under this title for which a 
final order awarding compensation has been entered and the operator is 
unable to pay.
``(e) No Recoupment of Attorneys' Fees.--Any payment for attorneys' 
fees or medical expenses made by the Secretary under this section shall 
not be recouped from the claimant or the claimant's attorney.''.

SEC. 3. REPORTS BY THE GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE.

Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
Comptroller General of the United States shall--
(1) carry out a review of interim benefit payments under 
the Black Lung Benefits Act (30 U.S.C. 901 et seq.) for miners 
and survivors who have submitted a claim for benefits under 
such Act and are waiting for a final determination, including--
(A) an examination of the financial impact on 
beneficiaries of such payments in the case the claims 
of such beneficiaries are denied and the payments are 
recouped;
(B) a study of the impact that the stress caused by 
such recoupment, or the threat of such recoupment, has 
on beneficiaries of such payments; and
(C) a study of the financial impact on the Federal 
Government and taxpayers of the process for recouping 
such interim benefit payments in the case of claims 
that are denied;
(2) carry out a review of benefit payments for miners and 
survivors under the Black Lung Benefits Act (30 U.S.C. 901 et 
seq.), including--
(A) an examination of whether such payments are 
sufficient to meet the expenses of such miners and 
survivors;
(B) an examination of the economic impact of a 
possible increase in the amount of benefit payments for 
such miners and survivors; and
(C) based on such examination, recommendations on 
the amount of benefit payments that such miners and 
survivors should receive;
(3) carry out a review that examines the impact of a 
possible change to regulations of the Secretary of Labor to 
permit a survivor of a miner to, after a final determination of 
benefits under the Black Lung Benefits Act (30 U.S.C. 901 et 
seq.) is made with respect to such survivor, file a subsequent 
claim for benefits under such Act; and
(4) submit to Congress reports on the results of the 
reviews under paragraphs (1), (2), and (3).
<all>