This bill makes it easier for families of coal miners to get survivor benefits when a miner dies from pneumoconiosis (black lung disease). Right now, families often have to prove that the disease caused the death, which can be difficult and expensive. This bill flips that burden around—if a miner worked in a coal mine for at least 10 years and was totally disabled by black lung disease before they died, the law will now assume the disease caused their death unless the coal company can prove otherwise. This is a significant change because it removes a major obstacle families face when applying for benefits.

The bill also creates a new program to help pay for attorneys' fees and medical expenses for families fighting for their benefits. If a case takes longer than a year to resolve, the government will now cover up to $1,500 in attorney fees for work before a district director and up to $3,000 for work before a judge, plus up to $3,000 in medical expenses. This means families won't have to pay these costs out of pocket while waiting for their claims to be decided. The coal company that employed the miner will have to reimburse the government if the family wins their case. Additionally, the bill asks the Government Accountability Office to study whether current benefit payments are enough to cover miners' and survivors' expenses and to examine the impact of the current system on families waiting for decisions.