COVID-19 Mine Worker Protection Act
This bill requires the Department of Labor to promulgate health and safety standards to protect coal miners from occupational exposure to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). Labor shall promulgate emergency standards within seven days of this bill's enactment. Such emergency standards shall be in force until Labor establishes permanent standards to protect miners from occupational exposure to infectious pathogens, including novel pathogens.
The emergency and permanent standards shall prohibit mine operators from discriminating or retaliating against a miner for (1) reporting a violation of this bill or a good-faith concern about a workplace infectious disease hazard, or (2) voluntarily using personal protective equipment that provides a higher level of protection than the equipment provided by the mine operator if the miner's equipment does not create a hazard.
Labor shall also collect data to track and investigate cases of exposure to COVID-19 among coal miners.