Bill > HR179

Introduced Session

Miners Protection Act of 2017 This bill amends the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA) to transfer certain funds to the Multiemployer Health Benefit Plan and the 1974 United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) Pension Plan to provide health and pension benefits to retired coal miners and their families. The bill expands the group whose retiree health benefits are taken into account in determining the amount that the Department of the Treasury must transfer from the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund and the General Fund of the Treasury to the Multiemployer Health Benefit Plan. A voluntary employees' beneficiary association (VEBA) established as a result of certain bankruptcy proceedings must transfer to the plan any amounts received as a result of the bankruptcy proceeding, reduced by the amount of the VEBA's administrative costs. Transfers by Treasury are reduced by the amount of the VEBA transfers. Treasury must also transfer additional funds to the 1974 UMWA Pension Plan to pay pension benefits required under that plan if the amounts available for transfer under SMCRA's $490 million annual limit exceed the amounts required to be transferred for other purposes (including to the UMWA Health Plans). The bill also: (1) prohibits the pension plan from making certain changes to benefits during any year in which a transfer is received, and (2) establishes additional reporting requirements for the plan. The bill repeals requirements for current and former signatories to labor agreements with the UMWA to pay unassigned beneficiaries premiums or backstop premiums if transfers under SMCRA are less than the amount required to be transferred.

Committee Categories

David McKinley (R)*,  Robert Aderholt (R),  Andy Barr (R),  Nanette Barragán (D),  Karen Bass (D),  Joyce Beatty (D),  Don Beyer (D),  Sanford Bishop (D),  Lisa Blunt Rochester (D),  Mike Bost (R),  Brendan Boyle (D),  Robert Brady (D),  Mo Brooks (R),  Larry Bucshon (R),  G. Butterfield (D),  Bradley Byrne (R),  Matt Cartwright (D),  Lacy Clay (D),  Emanuel Cleaver (D),  Tom Cole (R),  Gerry Connolly (D),  Paul Cook (R),  Rodney Davis (R),  Rosa DeLauro (D),  Michael Doyle (D),  Elizabeth Esty (D),  Dwight Evans (D),  Brian Fitzpatrick (R),  Marcia Fudge (D),  Bob Gibbs (R),  Al Green (D),  Brett Guthrie (R),  Evan Jenkins (R),  Bill Johnson (R),  Eddie Johnson (D),  Hank Johnson (D),  Dave Joyce (R),  Marcy Kaptur (D),  John Katko (R),  Robin Kelly (D),  Adam Kinzinger (R),  Leonard Lance (R),  Barbara Lee (D),  Frank LoBiondo (R),  Mia Love (R),  Alan Lowenthal (D),  Ben Ray Luján (D),  Michelle Lujan Grisham (D),  Stephen Lynch (D),  Donald McEachin (D),  Jim McGovern (D),  Grace Meng (D),  Alex Mooney (R),  Gwen Moore (D),  Donald Norcross (D),  Tom O'Halleran (D),  Mark Pocan (D),  Jared Polis (D),  James Renacci (R),  Cedric Richmond (D),  Martha Roby (R),  Mike Rogers (R),  Todd Rokita (R),  Tim Ryan (D),  Bobby Scott (D),  Terri Sewell (D),  Bill Shuster (R),  Kyrsten Sinema (I),  Chris Smith (R),  Steve Stivers (R),  Claudia Tenney (R),  Bennie Thompson (D),  G.T. Thompson (R),  Mike Turner (R),  Bonnie Watson Coleman (D),  Peter Welch (D),  Frederica Wilson (D),  Rob Wittman (R),  John Yarmuth (D), 

Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources. (on 02/10/2017)

Official Document