H.R. 9556: Support Our Miners Act

This bill would change the Black Lung Benefits Act so that monthly benefits for miners disabled by black lung disease are increased and then adjusted for inflation going forward.

What the bill does

• It keeps the current black lung benefits program in place, but updates the payment formula.
• For benefits paid in 2026, the bill would set the annual benefit amount at $15,030, which works out to about $1,252.50 per month after the bill becomes law.
• For 2027 and later years, the annual benefit amount would rise each year based on inflation, using the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W).
• The bill is written so that future annual increases would not go down if inflation is negative; instead, the benefit would stay at the prior year’s level unless the CPI formula increases it.

Why the bill is being proposed

• The bill says that many coal miners have been disabled or have died from black lung disease.
• It states that the current benefit amount has not kept up with the cost of living since the original benefit formula was created in 1969.
• It also says the current benefit value is worth significantly less in real terms than it was when first established.

Practical effect

• Miners who qualify for black lung benefits would receive more money each month than they do under the current formula.
• Because the benefits would be indexed to inflation, the payment amount would automatically change over time rather than staying fixed.
• The bill would likely increase federal spending on black lung benefits, since higher monthly payments would be made to eligible miners and their families.

Relevant Companies

• BTU — Peabody Energy could be indirectly affected if higher black lung benefit costs contribute to greater financial burdens on coal employers and insurers, though the bill mainly changes federal benefit payments.
• ARCH — Arch Resources could be indirectly affected for similar reasons if industry-related compensation or insurance costs are influenced by the updated benefit structure.
• CEIX — CONSOL Energy could face indirect cost impacts through coal-industry liabilities or insurance arrangements connected to black lung claims.
• AMR — Alpha Metallurgical Resources could be indirectly affected if the higher benefit levels influence coal-sector labor or claims-related costs.