Title 30Mineral Lands and MiningRelease 119-73

§955 State laws

Title 30 › Chapter CHAPTER 22— - MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER V— - ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS › § 955

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

State laws that were already in force on December 30, 1969, or that are passed later, stay in effect unless they conflict with the federal mine-safety law, a federal order, or a required federal health or safety standard. State laws that set tougher health or safety rules for coal or other mines are allowed and are not treated as conflicts. State laws that cover mine health or safety topics the federal law does not address are also not conflicts.

Full Legal Text

Title 30, §955

Mineral Lands and Mining — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)No State law in effect on December 30, 1969 or which may become effective thereafter shall be superseded by any provision of this chapter or order issued or any mandatory health or safety standard, except insofar as such State law is in conflict with this chapter or with any order issued or any mandatory health or safety standard.
(b)The provisions of any State law or regulation in effect upon the operative date of this chapter, or which may become effective thereafter, which provide for more stringent health and safety standards applicable to coal or other mines than do the provisions of this chapter or any order issued or any mandatory health or safety standard shall not thereby be construed or held to be in conflict with this chapter. The provisions of any State law or regulation in effect on December 30, 1969, or which may become effective thereafter, which provide for health and safety standards applicable to coal or other mines for which no provision is contained in this chapter or in any order issued or any mandatory health or safety standard, shall not be held to be in conflict with this chapter.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

This chapter, referred to in text, was in the original “this Act”, meaning Pub. L. 91–173, Dec. 30, 1969, 83 Stat. 742, known as the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 801 of this title and Tables. For the operative date of this chapter, referred to in subsec. (b), see section 509 of Pub. L. 91–173, set out as an

Effective Date

note under section 801 of this title.

Amendments

1977—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 95–164 inserted reference to mines other than coal mines.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1977 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 95–164 effective 120 days after Nov. 9, 1977, except as otherwise provided, see section 307 of Pub. L. 95–164, set out as a note under section 801 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

30 U.S.C. § 955

Title 30Mineral Lands and Mining

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73