,i  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #bfbg  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,july #h1 #bjac ,mr4 
,whitfield 7for himself1 ,mr4           
,mc,kinley1 and ,mrs4 ,capito7          
introduced the following bill2 which was
 referred to the ,committee on ,natural 
,resources  ,a ,,bill  ,to amend the    
,surface ,mining ,control and           
,reclamation ,act of #aigg to protect   
the health care benefits of our         
,nation's miners4  #a4 ,short title     
,this ,act may be cited as the ,caring  
for ,coal ,miners ,act4  #b4 ,inclusion 
of retirees after #bjjf  7a7 ,in general
 ,section #djb7;h77#b77;,c7 of the      
,surface ,mining ,control and           
,reclamation ,act of #aigg 7#cj         
,u4,s4,c4 #abcb7;h77#b77;,c77 is        
amended--  7#a7 by inserting 7i7 before 
,a transfer2  7#b7 by redesignating     
clauses 7i7 and 7ii7 7as in effect      
immediately before the enactment of this
 ,act7 as subclauses 7,i7 and 7,,ii7 of 
clause 7i7 as designated by the         

amendment made by paragraph 7#a7 of this
 section1 and moving such subclauses #b 
ems to the right2 and  7#c7 by striking 
the matter following such subclause     
7,,ii7 and inserting the following3     
7ii7 ,such excess shall be calculated by
 taking into account only--  7,i7 those 
beneficiaries actually enrolled in the  
,plan as of the date of enactment of the
 ,caring for ,coal ,miners ,act1 who are
 eligible to receive health benefits    
under the ,plan on the first day of the 
calendar year for which the transfer is 
made2 and  7,,ii7 those beneficiaries   
who would be denied health benefits     
payable directly by an employer in the  
bituminous coal industry under a coal   
wage agreement1 as that term is defined 
in section #igja7;b77#a7 of the         
,internal ,revenue ,code of #aihf 7#bf  
,u4,s4,c4 #igja7;b77#a771 as a result of
 a bankruptcy proceeding commenced in   
#bjab4  7iii7 ,an individual referred to
 in clause 7ii77,,ii7 shall be          
considered eligible to receive health   

benefits under the ,plan4  4  7b7       
,limitation on duplication of benefits  
7#a7 ,limitation ,the amount made       
available as a result of the enactment  
of this ,act shall be reduced by the    
amount of any benefits actually paid by 
a ,voluntary ,employees' ,beneficiary   
,association to or on behalf of a       
covered beneficiary1 so that no covered 
beneficiary receives a greater benefit  
than would have been payable before the 
establishment of such association4  7#b7
 ,definitions ,in this subsection3  7,a7
 covered beneficiary ,the term covered  
beneficiary means a person eligible for 
health benefits under both the plan     
referred to in section #djb7;h77,c7 of  
the ,surface ,mining ,control and       
,reclamation ,act of #aigg 7#cj         
,u4,s4,c4 #abcb7;h77#b77;,c77 and a     
,voluntary ,employees' ,beneficiary     
,association4  7,b7 ,voluntary          
,employees' ,beneficiary ,association   
,the term ,voluntary ,employees'        
,beneficiary ,association means such an 

association established pursuant to the 
,order entered ,may #bi1 #bjac1 by the  
,court in the case ,in re3 ,patriot     
,coal ,corporation 7,case ,no4          
#ab-eaejb1 ,bankruptcy ,court for the   
,eastern ,district of ,missouri74