---
kind: "section"
citation: "30 U.S.C. § 931"
title: "30"
title_heading: "Mineral Lands and Mining"
number: "931"
heading: "Benefits under State workmen’s compensation laws"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/30/931"
units:
  - "Chapter 22 — Mine Safety and Health"
  - "Subchapter IV — Black Lung Benefits"
  - "Part C"
---

# §931. Benefits under State workmen’s compensation laws

- (a) **Filing—** On and after January 1, 1974, any claim for benefits for death or total disability due to pneumoconiosis shall be filed pursuant to the applicable [State](/usc/30/802.md?p=c) workmen’s compensation law, except that during any period when [miners](/usc/30/802.md?p=g) or their surviving widows, children, parents, brothers, or sisters, as the case may be, are not covered by a [State](/usc/30/802.md?p=c) workmen’s compensation law which provides adequate coverage for pneumoconiosis, and in any case in which benefits based upon eligibility under paragraph (5) of [section 921(c) of this title](/usc/30/921.md?p=c) are involved.[^1] they shall be entitled to claim benefits under this part.
- (b) **Adequacy of compensation; listing of States providing adequate compensation; requisites for listing—**
  - (1) For purposes of this section, a [State](/usc/30/802.md?p=c) workmen’s compensation law shall not be deemed to provide adequate coverage for pneumoconiosis during any period unless it is included in the list of [State](/usc/30/802.md?p=c) laws found by the [Secretary](/usc/30/802.md?p=a) to provide such adequate coverage during such period. The [Secretary](/usc/30/802.md?p=a) shall, no later than October 1, 1972, publish in the Federal Register a list of [State](/usc/30/802.md?p=c) workmen’s compensation laws which provide adequate coverage for pneumoconiosis and shall revise and republish in the Federal Register such list from time to time, as may be appropriate to reflect changes in such [State](/usc/30/802.md?p=c) laws due to legislation or judicial or administrative interpretation.
  - (2) The [Secretary](/usc/30/802.md?p=a) shall include a [State](/usc/30/802.md?p=c) workmen’s compensation law on such list during any period only if he finds that during such period under such law—
    - (A) benefits must be paid for total disability or death of a [miner](/usc/30/802.md?p=g) due to pneumoconiosis, except that (i) such law shall not be required to provide such benefits where the [miner](/usc/30/802.md?p=g)’s last employment in a coal mine terminated before the [Secretary](/usc/30/802.md?p=a)’s approval of the [State](/usc/30/802.md?p=c) law pursuant to this section; and (ii) each [operator](/usc/30/802.md?p=d) of a coal mine shall secure the payment of benefits pursuant to [section 933 of this title](/usc/30/933.md) with respect to any [miner](/usc/30/802.md?p=g) whose last employment in a coal mine terminated before the [Secretary](/usc/30/802.md?p=a)’s approval of the [State](/usc/30/802.md?p=c) law pursuant to this section;
    - (B) the amount of such cash benefits is substantially equivalent to or greater than the amount of benefits prescribed by [section 922(a) of this title](/usc/30/922.md?p=a);
    - (C) the standards for determining death or total disability due to pneumoconiosis are substantially equivalent to [section 902(f) of this title](/usc/30/902.md?p=f) and to those standards established under this part, and by the regulations of the [Secretary](/usc/30/802.md?p=a) promulgated under this part;
    - (D) any claim for benefits on account of total disability of a [miner](/usc/30/802.md?p=g) due to pneumoconiosis is deemed to be timely filed if such claim is filed within three years after a medical determination of total disability due to pneumoconiosis;
    - (E) there are in effect provisions with respect to prior and successor [operators](/usc/30/802.md?p=d) which are substantially equivalent to the provisions contained in [section 932(i) of this title](/usc/30/932.md?p=i); and
    - (F) there are applicable such other provisions, regulations or interpretations, which are consistent with the provisions contained in Public Law 803, 69th Congress (44 Stat. 1424, approved March 4, 1927), as amended [[33 U.S.C. 901](/usc/33/901.md) et seq.], which are applicable under [section 932(a) of this title](/usc/30/932.md?p=a), but are not inconsistent with any of the criteria set forth in subparagraphs (A) through (E) of this paragraph, as the [Secretary](/usc/30/802.md?p=a), in accordance with regulations promulgated by him, determines to be necessary or appropriate to assure adequate compensation for total disability or death due to pneumoconiosis.

    The action of the [Secretary](/usc/30/802.md?p=a) in including or failing to include any [State](/usc/30/802.md?p=c) workmen’s compensation law on such list shall be subject to judicial review exclusively in the United States court of appeals for the circuit in which the [State](/usc/30/802.md?p=c) is located or the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.

- (c) **Publication in Federal Register; review of listings—** Final regulations required for implementation of any amendments to this part shall be promulgated and published in the Federal Register at the earliest practicable date after the date of enactment of such amendments, and in no event later than the end of the sixth month following the month in which such amendments are enacted.

## Footnotes

[^1]: So in original. The period probably should be a comma.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 91–173, title IV, § 421, Dec. 30, 1969, 83 Stat. 795; Pub. L. 92–303, §§ 1(c)(1), 4(e), 5(3), (5), May 19, 1972, 86 Stat. 151, 154, 155; Pub. L. 95–239, §§ 3(b)(3), 6, Mar. 1, 1978, 92 Stat. 97, 98.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

Public Law 803, 69th Congress, referred to in subsec. (b)(2)(F), is act Mar. 4, 1927, ch. 509, 44 Stat. 1424, popularly known as the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act, which is classified generally to chapter 18 (§ 901 et seq.) of Title 33, Navigation and Navigable Waters. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see section 901 of Title 33 and Tables.

### Amendments

1978—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 95–239, § 3(b)(3), inserted reference to cases in which benefits based upon eligibility under par. (5) of section 921(c) of this title are involved.

Subsec. (b)(2)(A). Pub. L. 95–239, § 6(a), added the exceptions set out in cls. (i) and (ii).

Subsec. (b)(2)(C). Pub. L. 95–239, § 6(b), substituted “established under this part, and by the regulations of the Secretary promulgated under this part” for “established under part B of this subchapter, and by the regulations of the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare promulgated thereunder”.

Subsec. (b)(2)(D). Pub. L. 95–239, § 6(c), substituted “total disability of a miner due to pneumoconiosis is deemed to be timely filed if such claim is filed within three years after a medical determination of total disability due to pneumoconiosis” for “total disability or death of a miner due to pneumoconiosis is deemed to be timely filed if such claim is filed within three years of the discovery of total disability due to pneumoconiosis, or the date of such death, as the case may be”.

1972—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 92–303, §§ 1(c)(1), 5(3), substituted “widows, children, parents, brothers, or sisters, as the case may be,” for “widows” and “1974” for “1973”.

Subsec. (b)(2)(C). Pub. L. 92–303, § 4(e), substituted “section 902(f) of this title and to those standards established under part B of this subchapter” for “those established by section 921 of this title”.

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 92–303, § 5(5), added subsec. (c).

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 1978 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 95–239 effective Mar. 1, 1978, see section 20(a) of Pub. L. 95–239, set out as a note under section 901 of this title.

### Effective Date of 1972 Amendment

Amendment by section 4(e) of Pub. L. 92–303 effective Dec. 30, 1969, see section 4(g) of Pub. L. 92–303, set out as a note under section 921 of this title.