Warner, Kaine introduce legislation seeking to loosen restrictions on families of deceased miners to receive benefits

Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner (D-VA) are among lawmakers proposing a bill to ease restrictions for families of deceased coal miners from black lung disease to claim benefits.

Warner and Kaine said in a release that too often these families face bureaucratic proof requirements that make receiving benefits challenging. The 1972 Black Lung Benefits Act pays out monthly benefits to surviving families who must establish that black lung was a substantial cause of death in the miner, something that autopsy results may not list.

The legislation if approved would allow for surviving family members to receive the benefits by proving disability if they can’t prove black lung was a cause of death as well as allow for easier access to legal representation for miners and miner families.

A summary of the bill is available by clicking here.

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