Regulations implementing the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969, as Amended

Résumé

The Department of Labor proposes to amend the regulations implementing the Black Lung Benefits Act. Most of the affected regulations govern the processing and adjudication of individual claims filed by former coal miners and their surviving dependents, including the medical criteria used to adjudicate the entitlement of those who file claims and the criteria used to determine which of the miner's former employers will be liable for the payment of benefits. In addition, the Department proposes to eliminate outdated regulations setting forth criteria for approving state workers' compensation programs; to discontinue the annual publication, in the Code of Federal Regulations, of the interim criteria governing claims filed prior to April 1, 1980; and to revise the criteria governing the responsibility of coal mine operators to secure the payment of benefits to their employees.