WASHINGTON –After touring a West Virginia coal mine and convening roundtables of coal workers and workforce officials last week, Representatives David B. McKinley, P.E. (R-WV) and Peter Welch (D-VT) introduced legislation today to assist coal workers who have lost their jobs due to a downturn in the coal industry. The Healthy Employee Loss Prevention Act (HELP Act, H.R. 3689) would provide retraining and job search assistance to displaced workers in coal communities across the country.

“Entire communities in West Virginia and across coal country are being decimated by job losses and bankruptcies,” Congressman McKinley said. “Coal miners, machinists, truck drivers, and others working in jobs connected to the coal industry are being hurt by factors beyond their control, whether it be regulations and market forces. This legislation represents a bipartisan effort to offer help to the hardworking people in West Virginia and across the coal fields who are struggling.”

“Times are tough for coal workers. For generations, they have risked their lives to keep our homes warm, factories working, and lights on. Now it’s time for America to help them,” Congressman Welch said. “As our energy landscape changes, Congress has an moral obligation to ensure displaced workers in the coal industry transition to meaningful careers in other industries.”

The McKinley-Welch legislation establishes a transition assistance program for displaced workers in coal communities.  It is modeled after the Trade Adjustment Assistance Act  which assists workers displaced due to foreign trade. 

Specifically, the bill:

• creates a commission to approve eligibility for assistance;  
• provides assistance to eligible workers if their job loss is tied to a downturn in the coal industry related to a variety of factors, including cheaper alternative fuel sources, federal regulations, existence of state to state energy markets, or other causes as determined by the commission;
• provides eligible workers with benefits for up to one year and with the potential for a one year extension;
• provides eligible workers with assistance for worker training and Workforce Investment Act benefits;
• allows the financial assistance to be used for job relocation and job search expenses;
• calculates financial assistance participating workers based on the amount of unemployment insurance a worker is eligible to receive;
• does not allow for workers to receive transition assistance and unemployment insurance at the same time. The financial assistance is made in lieu of unemployment insurance or can be taken after a worker has exhausted unemployment benefits.

“We applaud Reps. Welch and McKinley for introducing this important legislation as it is a necessary step forward to support and protect impacted workers and communities,” said BlueGreen Alliance Executive Director Kim Glas. "This bill is critical to making that happen."

McKinley and Welch are members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. They first introduced the HELP Act in 2014.