30 U.S.C. § 953 — Assistance to States

(a) Grants for State mine programs. In coordination with the Secretaries of Health and Human Services and the Interior, the Secretary may make grants under an approved application to a State where coal or other mining occurs: (1) to help the State develop and enforce effective mine health and safety laws and regulations consistent with section 955; (2) to improve State workers’ compensation and occupational-disease laws and programs concerning coal or other mine employment; and (3) to promote Federal-State coordination and cooperation in improving mine health and safety. (b) Grant applications. The Secretary must approve a State application or modification submitted through its official mine-inspection or safety agency if it (1) describes programs, policies, and methods for carrying out subsection (a); (2) provides research and planning studies for improving State compensation laws and programs concerning diseases and injuries caused by mine work; (3) names that State agency as the sole agency administering these grants throughout the State and satisfactorily shows it can carry out this section; (4) assures that the agency has or will employ enough competent, trained inspectors qualified under State law; (5) extends and improves the State mine-safety program and provides that no one will receive advance notice of an inspection; (6) provides suitable fiscal controls and fund-accounting procedures; (7) requires the agency to report to the Secretary in the form and with the information the Secretary requires; (8) assures the grants supplement rather than replace existing State programs; and (9) meets additional conditions the Secretary prescribes that further and are consistent with this section. (c) Disapproval; notice and hearing. The Secretary may not finally disapprove an application or modification without first giving the State agency reasonable notice and an opportunity for a public hearing. (d) Court review. A State harmed by a decision under subsection (b) or (c) may, within 30 days after the decision, petition the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia to modify or set aside all or part of the action. The court hears the appeal on the record made before the Secretary. The Secretary’s factual findings are conclusive if supported by substantial evidence in the whole record. The court may affirm, vacate, or send the proceedings back to the Secretary for further action it directs. Filing the petition does not pause the decision unless the court orders it. Section 816(a), (b), and (c) does not apply. (e) Training State inspectors. A State application or modification may include a State-inspector training program. (f) Cooperation. The Secretary must cooperate with the State in carrying out its application or modification. The Secretary must, when appropriate, develop or build facilities and finance joint training for Federal and State inspectors. The Secretary must also cooperate in creating a system to exchange State and Federal inspection reports about mines in the State to improve their health and safety. (g) Grant limit. A grant to a mining State for a fiscal year may not exceed 80 percent of what the State spends that year carrying out its application. (h) Appropriations. Congress may appropriate $3,000,000 for fiscal year 1970 and $10,000,000 each later fiscal year to carry out this section. The money remains available until spent. The Secretary must distribute grant money fairly among States with approved applications, but at least one-half must go to coal-producing States.