Robert C. Byrd Mine Safety Protection Act of 2020
Latest action · Dec 17, 2020 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedDec 17, 2020
- Passed SenateNot reached
- Passed HouseNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Robert C. Byrd Mine Safety Protection Act of 2020
This bill revises requirements governing (1) investigations of mine accidents, (2) miners' rights and protections (e.g., whistle-blower rights and protections), (3) mine health and safety standards, (4) underground coal mines, and (5) health and safety training for miners.
The Department of Labor, when investigating coal or other mines, must (1) determine why an accident occurred and whether there were violations of law, mandatory health and safety standards, or other requirements; and (2) make recommendations to avoid a recurrence of an accident.
The bill expands Labor's enforcement authority, including by requiring Labor to (1) revoke the approval of mine operators' plans or programs based on certain criteria, and (2) order mine operators to withdraw all persons from a mine until Labor approves a new plan. The bill revises civil and criminal penalties, including by subjecting a mine operator who knowingly violates health or safety standards to a felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a $1 million fine.
Underground coal mine operators must implement a communication program to brief miners of current mine conditions and install atmospheric monitoring systems.
The bill amends the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 to expand its coverage to government employees and increase civil and criminal penalties for violations of the act. The bill also expands whistle-blower rights and protections against retaliation under the act, establishes employee rights with respect to work-related bodily injuries or death, and establishes procedures for correcting serious, willful, or repeated violations of occupational safety and health standards.
Cosponsors 2
Members who signed on, in the order they did. All signed on Dec 17, 2020.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-WV | Joe Manchin III | Original | Dec 17, 2020 |
| D-OH | Sherrod Brown | Original | Dec 17, 2020 |
Committees 1
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| Senate | Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee | Referred Dec 17, 2020 |
Actions 2
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Dec 17, 2020Introduced in Senate
- Dec 17, 2020Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Related bills 1
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| S 5356 | Robert C. Byrd Mine Safety Protection Act of 2022 | Reintroduced Bill | Dec 22, 2022 |
Titles 2
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- A bill to improve compliance with mine safety and health laws, empower miners to raise safety concerns, and prevent future mine tragedies, and for other purposes.
- Short Title(s) as Introduced
- Robert C. Byrd Mine Safety Protection Act of 2020
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Labor and Employment.
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Dec 17, 2020Introduced in Senate
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
