Coal miners finally get a raise after 57 years of eroding benefits
H.R. 9556 — Support Our Miners Act · Filed by Summer Lee (D-PA) · 2 cosponsors · Introduced Jun 30, 2026 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill increases monthly benefits for coal miners with black lung disease under the Black Lung Benefits Act. Starting in 2026, miners will receive approximately $1,252.50 per month (up from the current amount), with automatic annual adjustments tied to inflation (the Consumer Price Index) in subsequent years to ensure benefits keep pace with the cost of living.
Why we flagged it
The bill's core function is to increase and index monthly cash benefits for coal miners with occupational lung disease, a straightforward social-insurance improvement with no hidden mechanisms or private carve-outs.
What the text implies
- Inflation indexing creates an open-ended federal obligation that will grow automatically each year without further legislative action, potentially affecting long-term budget planning.
- The bill does not address the underlying funding mechanism for black lung benefits (whether paid by coal operators, a federal trust fund, or general revenue), so the fiscal impact on the federal budget or industry is not transparent from this text alone.
The full analysis lists 3 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
coal miners with black lung disease; families of deceased miners receiving survivor benefits