Congress·In Committee·H.R. 6757

Congress proposes easier black lung survivor benefits and aid for legal and medical claim costs

Relief for Survivors of Miners Act of 2025

3 months ago·View on Congress.gov

Part of: New Legislation Aims to Strengthen Black Lung Benefits and Survivor Support

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Stalled

No legislative action in over 90 days.

Legislative Progress

House

Senate

President

Law

Key Points

Makes it easier for a miner’s surviving family to qualify for benefits when the miner worked at least 10 years in coal mining and died with black lung disease.
Adds a new rule: if the miner was totally disabled by black lung while alive, the law will generally assume black lung helped cause the death unless an employer proves it played no role.
Applies to some newer and still-open claims, including certain claims filed up to 5 years before the law is enacted if they’re still pending.
Creates a Labor Department program to help pay claim-related costs in long-running, contested cases, including up to $4,500 for attorney fees and up to $3,000 for medical expenses.
Orders the Government Accountability Office to study interim payments, whether benefits are enough, and options to let survivors file another claim after a final decision.

Labor EmploymentVeteransHealthcareConsumer Protection

Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

How this policy affects specific groups of people

Positive Impacts(3)

Retiree

Helps

Chronic Illness

Helps

Child Tax Credit

Helps

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions

Dec 16, 2025House

Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.

Dec 16, 2025

Introduced in House

What Happens Next

Projected impacts based on AI analysis

Within 180 days after the bill becomes law

Labor Department sets up a program to pay capped attorneys’ fees and certain medical evidence costs in delayed, contested claims

If your black lung case has been contested and still has no final decision after 1 year, your lawyer may be able to get paid (up to the caps) without you fronting that money—once you win an award at key steps.

As soon as the bill becomes law, for eligible pending claims and recent filings

New easier-to-prove survivor standards apply to some past and current claims

Some survivors with claims filed as far back as 5 years before the law is signed—and still pending—could benefit from the stronger presumption that black lung contributed to the miner’s death.

Within 1 year after the bill becomes law

GAO completes reviews and sends reports to Congress about interim payments, possible benefit increases, and later re-filing options

This doesn’t change your payments right away, but it can set up future changes—like different payment amounts or different rules about paying back interim benefits if a claim is denied.