Mine Safety

   The government wants to repeal a law that requires mining companies to report safety information.
   The repeal bill is called H.R. 4289, and it would delete the part of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act that requires coal and other mining companies to tell the government how they comply with federal health and safety standards.
   Existing law says the companies must report to the Securities and Exchange Commission how they do that or be penalized if they don't. If the bill passes, coal companies would no longer be fined for not reporting safety information.
   The bill was introduced in the House several months ago, and the Congressional Budget Office submitted its analysis last week, and said that while H.R. 4289 would decrease the amount of money the SEC would collect in civil penalties for non-disclosure, the reduction "would be insignificant."
   But the report did not deal with any other consequences mining companies might suffer for not disclosing safety information.