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Title 30, Mineral Lands and MiningRelease 119-110

§931 Benefits Under State Workmen’s Compensation Laws

Title 30 › CHAPTER 22 — MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH › SUBCHAPTER IV — BLACK LUNG BENEFITS › Part C — Claims for Benefits After December 31, 1973 › § 931

Last updated Sep 23, 2026|Official source

Summary

After January 1, 1974, claims for death or total disability from pneumoconiosis must be filed under the applicable State workers’ compensation law. If miners or their surviving family members are not covered by a State law that gives adequate protection for pneumoconiosis, or if the claim involves benefits under paragraph (5) of section 921(c), they may claim benefits under the federal part. The Secretary must publish a list in the Federal Register by October 1, 1972, and update it as needed, naming the States whose laws provide adequate coverage. A State is listed only if its law meets several tests, including paying benefits for death or total disability (with a limited exception for miners whose last mine work ended before the State law was approved), providing cash amounts at least as large as those in section 922(a), using standards like section 902(f) and this part, letting disability claims be filed within three years after a medical finding, having rules for prior and successor operators like section 932(i), and any other needed provisions consistent with earlier law. The Secretary’s decision about listing a State can be reviewed only in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the State’s circuit or the D.C. Circuit. Final regulations to implement any amendments must be published as soon as possible and no later than the end of the sixth month after the month the amendments are enacted.

Full Legal Text

Title 30, §931

Mineral Lands and Mining, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Filing
On and after January 1, 1974, any claim for benefits for death or total disability due to pneumoconiosis shall be filed pursuant to the applicable State workmen’s compensation law, except that during any period when miners or their surviving widows, children, parents, brothers, or sisters, as the case may be, are not covered by a State workmen’s compensation law which provides adequate coverage for pneumoconiosis, and in any case in which benefits based upon eligibility under paragraph (5) of section 921(c) of this title are involved. they shall be entitled to claim benefits under this part.
(b)Adequacy of compensation; listing of States providing adequate compensation; requisites for listing
(1)For purposes of this section, a State workmen’s compensation law shall not be deemed to provide adequate coverage for pneumoconiosis during any period unless it is included in the list of State laws found by the Secretary to provide such adequate coverage during such period. The Secretary shall, no later than October 1, 1972, publish in the Federal Register a list of State workmen’s compensation laws which provide adequate coverage for pneumoconiosis and shall revise and republish in the Federal Register such list from time to time, as may be appropriate to reflect changes in such State laws due to legislation or judicial or administrative interpretation.
(2)The Secretary shall include a State workmen’s compensation law on such list during any period only if he finds that during such period under such law—
(A)benefits must be paid for total disability or death of a miner due to pneumoconiosis, except that (i) such law shall not be required to provide such benefits where the miner’s last employment in a coal mine terminated before the Secretary’s approval of the State law pursuant to this section; and (ii) each operator of a coal mine shall secure the payment of benefits pursuant to section 933 of this title with respect to any miner whose last employment in a coal mine terminated before the Secretary’s approval of the State law pursuant to this section;
(B)the amount of such cash benefits is substantially equivalent to or greater than the amount of benefits prescribed by section 922(a) of this title;
(C)the standards for determining death or total disability due to pneumoconiosis are substantially equivalent to section 902(f) of this title and to those standards established under this part, and by the regulations of the Secretary promulgated under this part;
(D)any claim for benefits on account of total disability of a miner due to pneumoconiosis is deemed to be timely filed if such claim is filed within three years after a medical determination of total disability due to pneumoconiosis;
(E)there are in effect provisions with respect to prior and successor operators which are substantially equivalent to the provisions contained in section 932(i) of this title; and
(F)there are applicable such other provisions, regulations or interpretations, which are consistent with the provisions contained in Public Law 803, 69th Congress (44 Stat. 1424, approved March 4, 1927), as amended [33 U.S.C. 901 et seq.], which are applicable under section 932(a) of this title, but are not inconsistent with any of the criteria set forth in subparagraphs (A) through (E) of this paragraph, as the Secretary, in accordance with regulations promulgated by him, determines to be necessary or appropriate to assure adequate compensation for total disability or death due to pneumoconiosis.
The action of the Secretary in including or failing to include any State workmen’s compensation law on such list shall be subject to judicial review exclusively in the United States court of appeals for the circuit in which the State is located or the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.
(c)Publication in Federal Register; review of listings
Final regulations required for implementation of any amendments to this part shall be promulgated and published in the Federal Register at the earliest practicable date after the date of enactment of such amendments, and in no event later than the end of the sixth month following the month in which such amendments are enacted.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Public Law 803, 69th Congress, referred to in subsec. (b)(2)(F), is act Mar. 4, 1927, ch. 509, 44 Stat. 1424, popularly known as the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act, which is classified generally to chapter 18 (§ 901 et seq.) of Title 33, Navigation and Navigable Waters. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see section 901 of Title 33 and Tables.

Amendments

1978—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 95–239, § 3(b)(3), inserted reference to cases in which benefits based upon eligibility under par. (5) of section 921(c) of this title are involved. Subsec. (b)(2)(A). Pub. L. 95–239, § 6(a), added the exceptions set out in cls. (i) and (ii). Subsec. (b)(2)(C). Pub. L. 95–239, § 6(b), substituted “established under this part, and by the

Regulations

of the Secretary promulgated under this part” for “established under part B of this subchapter, and by the

Regulations

of the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare promulgated thereunder”. Subsec. (b)(2)(D). Pub. L. 95–239, § 6(c), substituted “total disability of a miner due to pneumoconiosis is deemed to be timely filed if such claim is filed within three years after a medical determination of total disability due to pneumoconiosis” for “total disability or death of a miner due to pneumoconiosis is deemed to be timely filed if such claim is filed within three years of the discovery of total disability due to pneumoconiosis, or the date of such death, as the case may be”. 1972—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 92–303, §§ 1(c)(1), 5(3), substituted “widows, children, parents, brothers, or sisters, as the case may be,” for “widows” and “1974” for “1973”. Subsec. (b)(2)(C). Pub. L. 92–303, § 4(e), substituted “section 902(f) of this title and to those standards established under part B of this subchapter” for “those established by section 921 of this title”. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 92–303, § 5(5), added subsec. (c).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1978 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 95–239 effective Mar. 1, 1978, see section 20(a) of Pub. L. 95–239, set out as a note under section 901 of this title.

Effective Date

of 1972 AmendmentAmendment by section 4(e) of Pub. L. 92–303 effective Dec. 30, 1969, see section 4(g) of Pub. L. 92–303, set out as a note under section 921 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

30 U.S.C. § 931

Title 30, Mineral Lands and Mining

Last Updated

Sep 23, 2026

Release point: 119-110