---
kind: "section"
citation: "30 U.S.C. § 953"
title: "30"
title_heading: "Mineral Lands and Mining"
number: "953"
heading: "Assistance to States"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/30/953"
units:
  - "Chapter 22 — Mine Safety and Health"
  - "Subchapter V — Administrative Provisions"
---

# §953. Assistance to States

- (a) **Development and enforcement of health and safety regulations; improvement of workmen’s compensation and occupational disease laws; promotion of Federal-State coordination in mine safety—** The [Secretary](/usc/30/802.md?p=a), in coordination with the [Secretary](/usc/30/802.md?p=a) of Health and Human Services and the [Secretary](/usc/30/802.md?p=a) of the Interior, is authorized to make grants in accordance with an application approved under this section to any [State](/usc/30/802.md?p=c) in which coal or other mining takes place—
  - (1) to assist such [State](/usc/30/802.md?p=c) in developing and enforcing effective [coal or other mine](/usc/30/802.md?p=h-1) health and safety laws and regulations consistent with the provisions of [section 955 of this title](/usc/30/955.md);
  - (2) to improve [State](/usc/30/802.md?p=c) workmen’s compensation and occupational disease laws and programs related to [coal or other mine](/usc/30/802.md?p=h-1) employment; and
  - (3) to promote Federal-[State](/usc/30/802.md?p=c) coordination and cooperation in improving the health and safety conditions in the [coal or other mines](/usc/30/802.md?p=h-1).
- (b) **Application for grants; contents—** The [Secretary](/usc/30/802.md?p=a) shall approve any application or any modification thereof, submitted under this section by a [State](/usc/30/802.md?p=c), through its official [coal or other mine](/usc/30/802.md?p=h-1) inspection or safety agency, which—
  - (1) sets forth the programs, policies, and methods to be followed in carrying out the application in accordance with the purposes of [subsection (a)](#a) of this section;
  - (2) provides [research](/usc/30/661.md?p=b-1) and planning studies to carry out plans designed to improve [State](/usc/30/802.md?p=c) workmen’s compensation and occupational disease laws and programs, as they relate to compensation to [miners](/usc/30/802.md?p=g) for occupationally caused diseases and injuries arising out of employment in any [coal or other mine](/usc/30/802.md?p=h-1);
  - (3) designates such [State](/usc/30/802.md?p=c) [coal or other mine](/usc/30/802.md?p=h-1) inspection or safety agency as the sole agency responsible for administering grants under this section throughout the [State](/usc/30/802.md?p=c), and contains satisfactory evidence that such agency will have the authority to carry out the purposes of this section;
  - (4) gives assurances that such agency has or will employ an adequate and competent staff of trained inspectors qualified under the laws of such [State](/usc/30/802.md?p=c) to make [coal or other mine](/usc/30/802.md?p=h-1) inspections within such [State](/usc/30/802.md?p=c);
  - (5) provides for the extension and improvement of the [State](/usc/30/802.md?p=c) program for the improvement of [coal or other mine](/usc/30/802.md?p=h-1) health and safety in the [State](/usc/30/802.md?p=c), and provides that no advance notice of an inspection will be provided anyone;
  - (6) provides such fiscal control and [fund](/usc/30/934.md?p=a) accounting procedures as may be appropriate to assure proper disbursement and accounting of grants made to the [States](/usc/30/802.md?p=c) under this section;
  - (7) provides that the designated agency will make such reports to the [Secretary](/usc/30/802.md?p=a) in such form and containing such information as the [Secretary](/usc/30/802.md?p=a) may from time to time require;
  - (8) contains assurances that grants provided under this section will supplement, not supplant, existing [State](/usc/30/802.md?p=c) [coal or other mine](/usc/30/802.md?p=h-1) health and safety programs; and
  - (9) meets additional conditions which the [Secretary](/usc/30/802.md?p=a) may prescribe in furtherance of, and consistent with, the purposes of this section.
- (c) **Approval by Secretary; notice and hearing—** The [Secretary](/usc/30/802.md?p=a) shall not finally disapprove any [State](/usc/30/802.md?p=c) application or modification thereof without first affording the [State](/usc/30/802.md?p=c) agency reasonable notice and opportunity for a public hearing.
- (d) **Review by Court of Appeals; conclusiveness of findings of Secretary; filing of petition—** Any [State](/usc/30/802.md?p=c) aggrieved by a decision of the [Secretary](/usc/30/802.md?p=a) under subsection [(b)](#b) or [(c)](#c) of this section may file within thirty days from the date of such decision with the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia a petition praying that such action be modified or set aside in whole or in part. The court shall hear such appeal on the record made before the [Secretary](/usc/30/802.md?p=a). The decision of the [Secretary](/usc/30/802.md?p=a) incorporating his findings of fact therein, if supported by substantial evidence on the record considered as a whole, shall be conclusive. The court may affirm, vacate, or remand the proceedings to the [Secretary](/usc/30/802.md?p=a) for such further action as it directs. The filing of a petition under this subsection shall not stay the application of the decision of the [Secretary](/usc/30/802.md?p=a), unless the court so orders. The provisions of [section 816(a)](/usc/30/816.md?p=a), (b), and (c) of this title shall not be applicable to this section.
- (e) **Programs to train State inspectors—** Any [State](/usc/30/802.md?p=c) application or modification thereof submitted to the [Secretary](/usc/30/802.md?p=a) under this section may include a program to train [State](/usc/30/802.md?p=c) inspectors.
- (f) **Cooperation in implementation of programs; exchange of reports between States—** The [Secretary](/usc/30/802.md?p=a) shall cooperate with such [State](/usc/30/802.md?p=c) in carrying out the application or modification thereof and shall, as appropriate, develop and, where appropriate, construct facilities for, and finance a program of, training of Federal and [State](/usc/30/802.md?p=c) inspectors jointly. The [Secretary](/usc/30/802.md?p=a) shall also cooperate with such [State](/usc/30/802.md?p=c) in establishing a system by which [State](/usc/30/802.md?p=c) and Federal inspection reports of [coal or other mines](/usc/30/802.md?p=h-1) located in the [State](/usc/30/802.md?p=c) are exchanged for the purpose of improving health and safety conditions in such mines.
- (g) **Limitation on grants—** The amount granted to any coal or other mining [State](/usc/30/802.md?p=c) for a fiscal year under this section shall not exceed 80 per centum of the amount expended by such [State](/usc/30/802.md?p=c) in such year for carrying out such application.
- (h) **Authorization of appropriations—** There is authorized to be appropriated $3,000,000 for fiscal year 1970, and $10,000,000 annually in each succeeding fiscal year to carry out the provisions of this section, which shall remain available until expended. The [Secretary](/usc/30/802.md?p=a) shall provide for an equitable distribution of sums appropriated for grants under this section to the [States](/usc/30/802.md?p=c) where there is an approved application, except that no less than one-half of such sum shall be allocated to coal-producing [States](/usc/30/802.md?p=c).

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 91–173, title V, § 503, Dec. 30, 1969, 83 Stat. 800; Pub. L. 95–164, title III, § 303(c), Nov. 9, 1977, 91 Stat. 1320; Pub. L. 96–88, title V, § 509(b), Oct. 17, 1979, 93 Stat. 695.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

1977—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 95–164, § 303(c)(1), inserted reference to mines and mining other than coal mines and coal mining and substituted “Secretary of the Interior” for “Secretary of Labor”.

Subsecs. (b), (f), (g). Pub. L. 95–164, § 303(c)(1), inserted references to mines and mining other than coal mines and coal mining.

Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 95–164, § 303(c)(2), substituted “$10,000,000” for “$5,000,000” and inserted requirement that no less than one-half of sums appropriated for grants be allocated to coal-producing States.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Change of Name

“Secretary of Health and Human Services” substituted for “Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare” in subsec. (a) pursuant to section 509(b) of Pub. L. 96–88 which is classified to section 3508(b) of Title 20, Education.

### Effective Date of 1977 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 95–164 effective 120 days after Nov. 9, 1977, except as otherwise provided, see section 307 of Pub. L. 95–164, set out as a note under section 801 of this title.