The Support Our Miners Act of 2026
At a Glance
Bill number: H.R. 9556
Lead sponsor: Rep. Summer Lee (D-Pa.)
Cosponsors: Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.) and Rep. Morgan McGarvey (D-Ky.)
Main goal: Increase federal black lung benefit payments and protect them from future inflation
Who it helps: Miners disabled by black lung disease and their families
Key reforms: Raises the monthly base benefit, restores lost value, and creates annual cost-of-living adjustments
Committee: House Committee on Education and Workforce
Bill Overview
The Support Our Miners Act (SOMA) would increase monthly federal black lung benefit payments for miners who are disabled by black lung disease and to ensure that those benefits keep pace with inflation in the future.
For decades, coal miners diagnosed with black lung and their families have relied on federal benefits to help pay for basic living expenses and medical needs. But, those benefits have not kept up with the rising cost of housing, food, utilities, and other basic goods. As a result, the monthly support available to disabled miners today is worth far less than what Congress had originally intended when the Black Lung Benefits Program was created.
SOMA would help to restore the value of black lung benefits by raising the base monthly payment and creating an annual cost of living adjustment so that miners and their families are not left behind.
What the Support Our Miners Act would do
Increase monthly disability benefit stipends
The Problem: Black lung benefits have lost much of their original value since they were introduced in 1969.
When the federal black lung benefits program was initially created, a disabled miner received $144.50 per month. Adjusted for today (2026), that amount would be around $1,252.50 per month. However, the current base benefit rate is only $793.60 per month for a single miner, roughly 40% less than what the original amount adjusted for inflation.
For miners who are too sick to work, that gap matters. Black lung benefits are not a bonus or a luxury for families; they are often a critical source of income for families facing disability, medical costs, and reduced household earnings.
How SOMA helps: The bill would raise the federal month black lung benefit rates to account for inflation (e.g., $793.60 to around $1,252.50 per month for a single miner with no dependents).
Restore the value of black lung disability benefits
The Problem:Miners and families are being asked to survive on benefits that do not match today’s cost of living.
The cost of rent, groceries, gas, utilities, and other staples has increased significantly since the original federal benefits program was enacted. But black lung disability benefits have not adjusted in a way that fully protects mining families from the cost of inflation. In years where federal employees do not receive a pay increase, or in cases where national inflation rates outpace federal employee salary increases, disabled miners are being asked to make yet another sacrifice - this time, in their overall buying power.
This is particularly cruel to miners living with this preventable and progressive disease. Black lung can limit a person’s ability to work, travel, and perform daily tasks. Families may be forced to stretch modest benefits across basic needs while also providing care for their loved ones who are dealing with the health consequences of black lung.
How SOMA helps: The bill would establish annual cost-of-living adjustments so that federal black lung benefits keep pace with the rate of inflation in the future.
Adjust benefits to account for inflation and cost-of-living needs
The Problem: Disabled miners should not be pushed deeper into poverty because benefits have been eroded through inflation and lack of action.
Recent reports have noted that SOMA would benefit more than 25,000 members of mining families across nearly all states, though the majority of beneficiaries would be in the Appalachian coalfields. While the overall cost-of-living is relatively lower in the Appalachian coalfields when compared to national averages, the rate of black lung benefits compared to the hourly living wage in most Appalachian counties with high rates of beneficiaries is still wide - from 3-5 times greater than what monthly benefits provide. This change in benefits would therefore not be an insignificant amount, but would vastly improve the lives of everyday families overnight.
How SOMA helps: By increasing monthly benefit payments, the bill would provide more meaningful support to miners and their families.
Tell Congress: Raise Black Lung Benefits
Coal miners disabled by black lung disease should not be forced to survive on benefits that have lost nearly 40% of their original value. The Support Our Miners Act would help restore the promise Congress made to miners and families when the Black Lung Benefits Program was created.