Mark Warner (D-VA)
Relief for Survivors of Miners Act of 2025
A Democratic bill with 3 Democratic cosponsors · See all 3 cosponsors
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Relief for Survivors of Miners Act of 2025 aims to amend the Black Lung Benefits Act to simplify the benefits process for those seeking aid after a miner's death. It introduces new rebuttable presumptions regarding deaths caused by pneumoconiosis, specifically for miners employed for at least 10 years or those who were totally disabled by the disease. The bill also restores certain pre-1981 provisions regarding total disability. Additionally, it establishes a new payment program to cover attorneys' fees and medical expenses for qualifying claims. Finally, it mandates several reviews by the Government Accountability Office regarding benefit payments and their impacts.
Yes· 3 of 6
- Scored +5
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?
The bill provides financial relief for legal and medical expenses to help claimants secure benefits.
- Scored +5
Would union members be better off under this?
The bill strengthens the process for miners and their survivors to receive benefits related to occupational diseases.
- Scored +5
Does this make health care easier to get in general?
The bill establishes a payment program to cover reasonable and unreimbursed medical expenses incurred during the benefit claim process.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Easier Proof for Survivors: The bill creates a rebuttable presumption that a miner's death was due to pneumoconiosis if they were employed in a coal mine for at least 10 years. This presumption can only be challenged if it is proven that no part of the death was caused by the disease (Section 2(a)(1)).
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Protection for Disabled Miners: For miners who were totally disabled due to pneumoconiosis during their life, the bill creates a presumption that their death was caused by the disease. This can only be rebuttable by establishing that no part of the death was caused by pneumoconiosis (Section 2(a)(2)).
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Financial Assistance for Legal and Medical Costs: A new program is established to pay attorneys' fees and reasonable, unreimbursed medical expenses incurred while establishing a claim. This is intended for "qualifying claims," which are contested claims where a final order has not been entered within one year (Section 2(d)).
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Caps on Legal Expenses: The program sets specific limits on payments, such as up to $4,500 in attorneys' fees and up to $3,000 in medical expenses per qualifying claim (Section 2(d)(b)(3)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No Recoupment of Fees: While designed to protect claimants, the bill explicitly states that any payments made for attorneys' fees or medical expenses under the new program shall not be recouped from the claimant or their attorney (Section 2(d)(e)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — The bill provides financial relief for legal and medical expenses to help claimants secure benefits. Would union members be better off under this? — The bill strengthens the process for miners and their survivors to receive benefits related to occupational diseases. Would people over 65 be better off under this? — The bill makes it easier for survivors of miners to access benefits through new rebuttable presumptions.
- Healthcare
- Does this make health care easier to get in general? — The bill establishes a payment program to cover reasonable and unreimbursed medical expenses incurred during the benefit claim process.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Is this likely to lift people out of poverty? — The bill eases the benefits process for survivors of miners, which can help mitigate financial hardship caused by respiratory diseases.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill mandates several reviews by the Government Accountability Office to examine the impact and sufficiency of benefit payments.
- 9/29/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 12/16/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- 2 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Angela AlsobrooksDemocrat · Maryland
John FettermanDemocrat · Pennsylvania
Timothy KaineDemocrat · Virginia