§ 901. Congressional findings and declaration of
purpose; short title
(a) Congress finds and declares that there are a significant
number of coal miners living today who are totally disabled due
to pneumoconiosis arising out of employment in one or more of the
Nation's coal mines; that there are a number of survivors of coal
miners whose deaths were due to this disease; and that few States
provide benefits for death or disability due to this disease to
coal miners or their surviving dependents. It is, therefore, the
purpose of this subchapter to provide benefits, in cooperation
with the States, to coal miners who are totally disabled due to
pneumoconiosis and to the surviving dependents of miners whose
death was due to such disease; and to ensure that in the future
adequate benefits are provided to coal miners and their
dependents in the event of their death or total disability due to
pneumoconiosis.
(b) This subchapter may be cited as the 'Black Lung Benefits
Act'.