Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
This bill amends section 412 of the Black Lung Benefits Act to raise the statutory benefit level for miners. For 2026 it sets an annual benefit of $15,030 (paid monthly), and beginning in 2027 it indexes the annual benefit to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) year-over-year, with a floor to prevent decreases.
Progressives emphasize restoring purchasing power and justice for miners
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill clearly identifies a problem and provides a precise statutory mechanism to raise and index black lung benefit rates.
This bill amends section 412 of the Black Lung Benefits Act to raise the statutory benefit level for miners.
For 2026 it sets an annual benefit of $15,030 (paid monthly), and beginning in 2027 it indexes the annual benefit to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) year-over-year, with a floor to prevent decreases.
The change applies to benefits payable under the Black Lung Benefits Act and provides automatic annual adjustments thereafter.
Narrow, sympathetic policy but creates uncushioned mandatory spending; success depends on budgeting tradeoffs and bipartisan dealmaking.
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill clearly identifies a problem and provides a precise statutory mechanism to raise and index black lung benefit rates. The core mechanism is specific and formulaic, which suits a statutory benefits change, but the text exhibits drafting/formatting defects and omits fiscal and administrative detail that would ordinarily accompany a substantive, ongoing benefit increase.
Progressives emphasize restoring purchasing power and justice for miners
These are examples from the analysis, not a ranked list of the most-affected groups.
Progressives emphasize restoring purchasing power and justice for miners
Likely strongly supportive: the bill restores benefit value lost to inflation and ensures ongoing cost‑of‑living protection.
It aligns with priorities to support disabled workers and correct long-standing inadequacies in worker benefits.
Generally favorable but fiscally cautious: supports correcting inflation erosion and predictable indexing, while wanting clarity on budgetary impact and implementation.
Would seek cost estimates and procedural details before full endorsement.
Cautious to opposed: sympathetic to miners but concerned about expanding entitlements and open‑ended federal spending.
Would push for offsets, limits, or state/private alternatives.
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Still ahead
Still ahead
Still ahead
Narrow, sympathetic policy but creates uncushioned mandatory spending; success depends on budgeting tradeoffs and bipartisan dealmaking.
The bill has not accumulated any surfaced votes yet.
Progressives emphasize restoring purchasing power and justice for miners
Narrow, sympathetic policy but creates uncushioned mandatory spending; success depends on budgeting tradeoffs and bipartisan dealmaking.
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill clearly identifies a problem and provides a precise statutory mechanism to raise and index black lung benefit rates. The core mechanism is specific and formulaic, whi…
Go beyond the headline summary with full stakeholder mapping, legislative design analysis, passage barriers, and lens-by-lens tradeoff breakdowns.