A federal fund that pays benefits to Indiana coal miners with black lung disease and their survivors is in trouble. When Congress failed to pass the Build Back Better Act before the end of last year, it neglected to extend an excise tax on coal sold in the U.S. which is the main source of revenue for the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund.
This is a welcome development for miners with black lung disease and their families who rely on the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund for a small monthly living stipend and health insurance. On Jan. 1, 2022, the excise tax rate was cut by more than half after Congress failed to pass a four-year extension in the Build Back Better Act, and the trust fund is now losing.