Legislative History of the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969 (Public Law 91-173) as Amended Through 1974

[From the Congressional Record-Senate, September 17, 1969] (P. 25721)

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(p. 25721)

BILLS INTRODUCED OR REPORTED

Bills were introduced or reported, read the first time, and, by unanimous consent, the second time, and referred or placed on the calendar, as follows:

By Mr. WILLIAMS of New Jersey:

S. 2917. A bill to improve the health and safety conditions of persons working in the coal mining industry of the United States; placed on the calendar.

(The remarks of Mr. WILLIAMS of New Jersey when he reported the bill appear later in the Record under the appropriate heading.)

(p. 25811)

FEDERAL COAL MINE HEALTH AND SAFETY ACT OF 1969-REPORT OF A COMMITTEE-INDIVIDUAL VIEWS (S. REPT. 91-411)

Mr. WILLIAMS of New Jersey. Mr. President, on behalf of the Committee on Labor and Public Welfare I send to the desk an original bill (S. 2917) unanimously reported by the committee which repeals the 1952 coal mine safety statute, as amended. The proposed new statute is entitled "The Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969."

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to file the committee's report on the bill, together with individual views.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The report will be received and the bill will be placed on the calendar; and, without objection, the report will be printed as requested by the Senator from New Jersey.

(A copy of the bill as reported, with accompanying Senate Report 91-411 follows:)

(1)

91ST CONGRESS 1ST SESSION

S. 2917

[Report No. 91-411]

Calendar No. 410

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

SEPTEMBER 17, 1969

Mr. WILLIAMS of New Jersey, from the Committee on Labor and Public Welfare, reported the following bill; which was read twice and ordered to be placed on the calendar

A BILL

To improve the health and safety conditions of persons working

in the coal mining industry of the United States.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa

2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 That this Act may be cited as the "Federal Coal Mine

4 Health and Safety Act of 1969".

FINDINGS AND PURPOSE

SEC. 2. Congress declares that—

(1) the first priority and concern of all in the coal

mining industry must be the health and safety of its

most precious resource-the miner;

(2) deaths and serious injuries from unsafe and

unhealthful conditions and practices in the coal mines

cause grief and suffering to the miners and to their

families;

(3) there is an urgent need to provide more effective means and measures for improving the working conditions and practices in the Nation's coal mines in

order to prevent death and serious physical harm, and in order to prevent occupational diseases originating in such mines;

(4) the existence of unsafe and unhealthful conditions and practices in the Nation's coal mines is a serious impediment to the future growth of the coal mining industry and cannot be tolerated;

(5) the operators of such mines with the assistance of the miners have the primary responsibility to prevent the existence of such conditions and practices in such mines;

(6) the disruption of production and the loss of income to operators and miners as a result of coal mine accidents or occupationally caused diseases unduly impedes and burdens commerce; and

(7) it is the purpose of this Act (1) to establish interim mandatory health and safety standards and to

direct the Surgeon General and the Secretary of the In

terior to develop and promulgate improved mandatory