,i  #aaith ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #ieef  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,june #cj1 #bjbf,ms4 
,lee of ,pennsylvania 7for herself1 ,mr4
 ,deluzio1 and ,mr4 ,mc,garvey7         
introduced the following bill2 which was
 referred to the ,committee on          
,education and ,workforce  ,a ,,bill    
,to amend the ,black ,lung ,benefits    
,act to provide adequate benefits for   
miners suffering from black lung        
disease1 and for other purposes4  #a4   
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,support ,our ,miners ,act4  #b4    
,findings ,congress finds the following3
  7#a7 ,tens of thousands of coal miners
 across the country are disabled by1 or 
have died from1 black lung disease4     
,such miners and their families rely on 
black lung benefits as provided under   
section #dab of the ,black ,lung        
,benefits ,act 7#cj ,u4,s4,c4 #ibb7 to  
pay for their healthcare and to provide 
monthly compensation4  7#b7 ,when       
section #dab of the ,black ,lung        

,benefits ,act 7#cj ,u4,s4,c4 #ibb7 was 
enacted in #aifi1 a miner received about
 #add4ej per month to help support their
 cost of living1 equating to about      
#a1beb4ec annually in today's currency1 
adjusting for inflation4  7#c7 ,the     
benefit rate1 as established in #aifi1  
has not kept up with the cost of living4
 ,today1 miners receive nearly #dj      
percent less than the value of the      
original amount adjusting for inflation4
  #c4 ,adequate benefits for miners     
,section #dab7;a7 of the ,black ,lung   
,benefits ,act 7#cj ,u4,s4,c4           
#ibb7;a77#a77 is amended in the first   
paragraph--  7#a7 by striking during the
 disability and inserting during the    
disability32  7#b7 by striking at a rate
 and inserting the following3  7,a7 ,for
 any calendar year preceding #bjbf1 at a
 rate  2 and  7#c7 by striking step #a4 
and inserting  step #a4 7,b7 ,for       
calendar year #bjbf1 for each month     
after the date of enactment of the      
,support ,our ,miners ,act for which    

benefits are payable to such miner1 at a
 monthly pay rate equal to the quotient 
of--  7i7 #ae1jcj1 and  7ii7 #ab4  7,c7 
,for calendar year #bjbg and each       
succeeding calendar year-- 7i7 at an    
annual rate equal to the product of--   
7,i7  7aa7 for calendar #bjbg1 #ae1jcj2 
or  7bb7 for a calendar year after      
calendar year #bjbg1 the annual rate    
determined under this subparagraph for  
the calendar year immediately preceding 
the calendar year for which the         
determination is being made under this  
subparagraph1 and  7,,ii7 the greater of
 one or the ratio of-- 7aa7 the         
,consumer ,price ,index for ,urban ,wage
 ,earners and ,clerical ,workers1 as    
published by the ,bureau of ,labor      
,statistics1 for the calendar year      
immediately preceding the calendar year 
for which the determination is being    
made under this subparagraph2 to  7bb7  
such ,consumer ,price ,index for the    
second calendar year preceding the      
calendar year for which the             

determination is being made under this  
subparagraph2 and  7ii7 at a monthly    
rate equal to the quotient of--  7,i7   
the annual rate determined under clause 
7i7 for the calendar year for which the 
determination is being made under this  
subparagraph2 and  7,,ii7 #ab4  4