The Relief for Survivors of Miners Act of 2025 would change survivor claims under the Black Lung Benefits Act. It would create rebuttable presumptions that a miner’s death was caused by pneumoconiosis in certain cases, including when the miner worked in a coal mine for at least 10 years or was totally disabled by pneumoconiosis before death. The presumption could be rebutted only by showing that pneumoconiosis played no part in the death. These changes would apply to certain claims filed within five years before enactment that are still pending on or after enactment.
The bill would also restore provisions related to benefits for miners who were totally disabled by pneumoconiosis when they died. It would establish a program to pay approved attorneys’ fees and certain unreimbursed medical expenses in contested claims that have no final order within one year. The bill also directs the Government Accountability Office to review interim payments, benefit amounts, and possible changes to rules for filing later claims, and to report its findings to Congress.
Survivors with eligible pending claims could benefit from the proposed presumptions. In qualifying delayed claims, the program could pay approved attorneys’ fees and medical expenses. The bill does not guarantee that a claim will be approved or change every survivor’s eligibility.
The program would use money from the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund. For each qualifying claim, payments could total up to $4,500 for attorneys’ fees and $3,000 for medical expenses. If a claim results in a final order awarding compensation, the liable operator would have to reimburse the fund. No publicly available information gives an overall cost estimate.
No publicly available information.
No publicly available information.