# 119-hr-6756: Black Lung Benefits Improvement Act of 2025 119-hr-6756, Black Lung Benefits Improvement Act of 2025, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. McGarvey, Morgan [D-KY-3] (D-KY); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-04-21). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-6756 - As of: 2026-04-21 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: 119-hr-6756 - Congress: 119 - Title: Black Lung Benefits Improvement Act of 2025 - Status: introduced - Introduced: 2025-12-16 - Sponsor: Rep. McGarvey, Morgan [D-KY-3] (D-KY) - Cosponsors: 5 - Policy area: Labor and Employment - Touches household money: yes - Last recorded action: 2026-04-21 ## Summary **This bill would strengthen benefits and speed decisions for coal miners with black lung by expanding medical help and tightening evidence rules.** It would also raise benefit levels and force mine operators to backstop costs and reimburse program payments. - Miners and families: Would let the Department of Labor provide medical exams, treatment, and claims help for miners, spouses, and dependents. Sets a 2026 annual total-disability benefit rate of $10,769 and ties future increases to CPI. - Medical evidence and fraud controls: Creates an irrebuttable presumption for complicated pneumoconiosis when tests show large opacities over 1 centimeter or equivalent biopsy findings. Requires full pulmonary evaluations at filing, a public list of qualified physicians with conflict rules, and new penalties for false statements including fines and up to 5 years in prison. - Operators and adjudication: Creates a federally funded Attorneys' Fees and Medical Expenses Payment Program paid from the Black Lung Benefits Fund that operators must reimburse when a final award is entered. Raises civil penalties to $25,000, sets self-insurance standards, and directs a plan to cut average claim pendency to under 12 months. ## Cosponsors (5) - Rep. Scott, Robert C. "Bobby" [D-VA-3] (D-VA), 2025-12-16T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Lee, Summer L. [D-PA-12] (D-PA), 2025-12-16T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Carson, André [D-IN-7] (D-IN), 2025-12-18T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12] (D-MI), 2026-01-07T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Dexter, Maxine [D-OR-3] (D-OR), 2026-01-20T00:00:00.000Z ## Provisions PRIA read - Automatic benefits for large lung lesions: benefit, high. If enacted, certain large lung findings would automatically show the miner is totally disabled by pneumoconiosis. A chest x-ray or CT showing a large opacity over 1 centimeter, or a biopsy/autopsy lesion at least 1 centimeter, would create an irrebuttable presumption of total disability or death fr… - Government payment for lawyer and medical bills: benefit, high. If enacted, the government would create a program, within 180 days, to pay attorneys' fees and unreimbursed medical expenses for certain delayed contested Black Lung claims. District directors could approve up to $1,500 in fees and $1,500 in medical costs; administrative law judges could approve up… - Higher Black Lung benefit rate: benefit, high. If enacted, the annual benefit rate for totally disabled miners would be $10,769 for calendar year 2026, paid in 12 monthly amounts. For years before 2026, the rate would be 37.5 percent of the monthly GS-2, step 1 pay rate. For each year after 2026, the rate would rise by the CPI-W ratio from the… - New claim path when x-ray discredited: benefit, medium. If enacted, a miner or survivor whose prior denial relied on a later-discredited chest x-ray could file a new claim that must be decided without that x-ray. The Secretary could deny the new claim only if the opposing party proves by clear and convincing evidence that the discredited x-ray did not c… - Paid lung exams and doctor list: benefit, medium. If enacted, you could ask the Department of Labor to pay for a full pulmonary exam from a qualified physician you pick from a public list. The Secretary would keep and update the list, exclude physicians with revoked licenses, and bar evaluators with recent ties to opposing private parties. The Fun… - Stronger anti-fraud and sanctions: benefit, medium. If enacted, knowingly making false statements or using threats to affect Black Lung claims would be a federal offense, with fines and up to 5 years in prison. U.S. Attorneys would be required to promptly investigate suspected offenses. Attorneys and expert witnesses who engage in misconduct could b… - Higher operator security and penalties: cost, high. If enacted, the Secretary must issue short-term and final rules (within 60 days and 12 months) setting who may self-insure and the financial tests and annual security needed to cover current and projected liabilities. The bill would define "other responsible party" to include any person or business… - New claims office, data sharing, and backlog plan: mixed, medium. If enacted, the Department of Labor would create an Office of Workers' Compensation Programs led by a President-appointed, Senate-confirmed Director that takes over current staff and duties. The Social Security Administration would be allowed to share wages and self-employment earnings with the Dep… ## Related bills - 119-hr-7977: Energy Bills Relief Act - 119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act - 119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025 - 119-hr-3069: Medicare for All Act - 119-hr-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act - 119-hr-20: Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025 ## Sources - [119-hr-6756 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/6756) ## Related - [119-hr-7977: Energy Bills Relief Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7977) - [119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7973) - [119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3151) - [119-hr-3069: Medicare for All Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3069) - [119-hr-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-51) - [119-hr-20: Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-20) - [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-6756 (as of 2026-04-21).