Support Our Miners Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [H.R. 9556 Introduced in House (IH)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 9556 To amend the Black Lung Benefits Act to provide adequate benefits for miners suffering from black lung disease, and for other purposes. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES June 30, 2026 Ms. Lee of Pennsylvania (for herself, Mr. Deluzio, and Mr. McGarvey) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To amend the Black Lung Benefits Act to provide adequate benefits for miners suffering from black lung disease, 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 ``Support Our Miners Act''. SEC. 2. FINDINGS. Congress finds the following: (1) Tens of thousands of coal miners across the country are disabled by, or have died from, black lung disease. Such miners and their families rely on black lung benefits as provided under section 412 of the Black Lung Benefits Act (30 U.S.C. 922) to pay for their healthcare and to provide monthly compensation. (2) When section 412 of the Black Lung Benefits Act (30 U.S.C. 922) was enacted in 1969, a miner received about $144.50 per month to help support their cost of living, equating to about $1,252.53 annually in today's currency, adjusting for inflation. (3) The benefit rate, as established in 1969, has not kept up with the cost of living. Today, miners receive nearly 40 percent less than the value of the original amount adjusting for inflation. SEC. 3. ADEQUATE BENEFITS FOR MINERS. Section 412(a) of the Black Lung Benefits Act (30 U.S.C. 922(a)(1)) is amended in the first paragraph-- (1) by striking ``during the disability'' and inserting ``during