WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the House of Representatives unanimously passed the Black Lung Consolidation of Administrative Responsibilities Act (H.R. 5542) -- sponsored by Rep. Melissa Hart (R-PA) -- which consolidates the administration of Black Lung workers’ compensation benefits within the Department of Labor (DOL), allowing the department to provide medical benefits to former miners more efficiently and effectively. The measure was passed by a vote of 404-0.

          “This is a program critical to thousands of former miners in my state who are Black Lung victims,” said Hart. “By streamlining bureaucracy, we can devote more resources to making prompt claims decisions and timely benefit payments to beneficiaries.”

          “This measure is a common sense solution that improves the administration of benefits while ensuring that Black Lung victims continue to receive a high level of customer service,” Hart continued. “It eliminates any confusion and duplication of administrative functions between two different agencies.”

          “I commend my friend from Pennsylvania, Ms. Hart, for her continued commitment to retirees who suffer from Black Lung disease, and for providing beneficiaries a greater sense of security by giving the Labor Department new authority to provide timely and effective services,” said Education & the Workforce Committee Chairman John Boehner (R-OH).

          The Labor Department’s part of the federal Black Lung program provides just under $460 million annually in monetary and medical benefits to former coal mine workers totally disabled by pneumoconiosis (Black Lung), a crippling respiratory condition, and their survivors. The Black Lung benefits program was enacted as part of the 1969 Coal Mine Health and Safety Act, the first comprehensive federal initiative to regulate health and safety conditions in the coal industry.

          The bill implements a longstanding recommendation by the Inspector Generals at DOL and the Treasury Department’s Social Security Administration (SSA) that DOL should administer all aspects of the Black Lung medical benefits provided to former miners. The proposal was initially outlined in the President’s FY 2003 budget. Currently, DOL manages all federal Black Lung claims except for formal appeals on Part B claims that are referred to Treasury Department’s SSA. The House-passed measure would simply transfer all remaining administrative functions to DOL, while retaining all regulations currently applicable to the beneficiaries’ entitlements.

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